Bacterial Communication

Have you every wondered why we get sick? Maybe not, but the answer is incredible. With so many bacteria within our bodies, it doesn’t seem possible that we would ever get sick because our immune system would go into action. Well, bacteria while small are great communicators.

Bacteria talk to each other. I don’t mean that literally, but they can recognize how many cells around them are the same bacteria and how many cells around them are different bacteria, and all of this is done on the microscopic level. Bacteria accomplish this with a very simple system of two receptors and two molecules.

Every bacterium makes two molecules, one that is specific to that bacteria and one that is a generic molecule produced by all bacteria. These molecules fit into receptors that are embedded within the bacterial membrane, and again, one is specific and another is generic. Now the really cool part happens. Based just upon these two molecules, the bacterium can identify how many bacteria like it are in the same area and how many bacteria that are different are in the same area. Once there are enough bacteria present, then they all act at once (keep in mind though that most bacteria do not cause us to get sick). The pathogenic bacteria know that by themselves they won’t be effective therefore, they accumulate and multiply, almost like preparing for war, and attack simultaneously. If you would like to learn more specifics about cell communication or see graphics to help with your understanding of the process then watch this TED video, and even if you don’t I would still recommend watching the video because it is fascinating.

This concept could be central to the next wave of antibiotics and anti-bacterial drugs. Now many bacteria are becoming resistant to modern drugs because they are commonly designed to cause the bacterium to explode, or interfere with its replication process, but as a result we are causing natural selection to occur and making the bacteria even harder to fight. Therefore, if drugs can be developed to prevent the attacking bacteria from recognizing that there are enough of them to attack by creating molecule that would attack to the specific or generic receptor, then the bacteria won’t be able to count the other bacteria around them and they will stop their attack. The next wave of medicine will be the result of bacterial communication.