The Complex Quorum Sensing Circuitry of Burkholderia thailandensis Is Both Hierarchically and Homeostatically Organized

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Why is it important?

Quorum sensing (QS) is a widespread bacterial communication system coordinating the expression of specific genes in a cell density-dependent manner and allowing bacteria to synchronize their activities and to function as multicellular communities. QS plays a crucial role in bacterial pathogenicity by regulating the expression of a wide spectrum of virulence/survival factors and is essential to environmental adaptation. The results presented here demonstrate that the multiple QS systems coexisting in the bacterium Burkholderia thailandensis, considered as the avirulent version of the human pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei and thus commonly used as an alternative study model, are hierarchically and homeostatically organized. We found these QS systems finely integrated into a complex regulatory network, including transcriptional and post-transcriptional interactions, and further incorporating growth stages and temporal expression. These results provide a unique, comprehensive illustration of a sophisticated QS network and will contribute to a better comprehension of the regulatory mechanisms that can be involved in the expression of QS-controlled genes, in particular those associated with the establishment of host-pathogen interactions and acclimatization to the environment.