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Title: Benefit of virulence and how QS is involved

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Title: Benefit of virulence and how QS is involved

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Production of EPS (extracellular polymeric substances)

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Production of EPS (extracellular polymeric substances)

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Benefit of close proximity of bacteria within biofilm (Caressa)

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Benefit of close proximity of bacteria within biofilm (Caressa)

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Close proximity enable efficient synergy, increasing the growth rate of microbial

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Close proximity enable efficient synergy, increasing the growth rate of microbial

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Microbials will be able to communicate easily, increasing the strength of the biofilm 

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Microbials will be able to communicate easily, increasing the strength of the biofilm 

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Strengthen mechanical support during Biofilm production

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Strengthen mechanical support during Biofilm production

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Allows for microbes to adhere to the surface more stably

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Allows for microbes to adhere to the surface more stably

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Provide protection from the bacteria from external environment

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Provide protection from the bacteria from external environment

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Ensures the bacteria is able to resist to environmental conditions which could harm/kill the bacterial colonies, allowing the bacteria to be deadly 

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Ensures the bacteria is able to resist to environmental conditions which could harm/kill the bacterial colonies, allowing the bacteria to be deadly 

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Quorum Sensing is the process by which bacteria produce, release, and detect signaling molecules called autoinducers to regulate gene expression collectively.

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1. Autoinducers:

Chemical signals used for communication (e.g., Acyl-homoserine lactones in Gram-negative bacteria or peptides in Gram-positive bacteria).

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2. Population-Dependent:

QS activates specific genes only when the bacterial population reaches a critical density.

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3. Coordinated Behavior:

QS helps bacteria act as a group rather than as individual cells, giving them an evolutionary advantage.

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Bacteria secrete oligopeptides (autoinducing peptides, AIPs) into the environment.

At low population density, the concentration of AIPs is insufficient to activate a response.

AIPs fail to reach the receptors of a two-component signaling system (usually a histidine kinase receptor).

The quorum-sensing pathway remains inactive, and group behaviors are not initiated.

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Bacteria produce AHLs at a constant rate.

AHLs diffuse freely across the cell membrane into the environment.

At low bacterial density, the concentration of AHLs in the environment is too low to re-enter cells or bind to receptors (e.g., LuxR-like proteins).

As a result, quorum-sensing genes are not activated, and group behaviors are not initiated.

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As the population density increases, AHLs accumulate in the environment.

When the concentration of AHLs reaches a critical threshold level, they diffuse back into bacterial cells.

AHLs bind to receptors like LuxR, forming an active complex that binds to DNA, activating the transcription of quorum-sensing-regulated genes.

This results in behaviors such as:

Biofilm formation.

Virulence factor production.

Bioluminescence (e.g., in Vibrio fischeri).

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At high bacterial density, AIPs accumulate in the environment.

When a threshold level of AIPs is reached, they bind to membrane-bound histidine kinase receptors.

This activates a phosphorylation cascade in the two-component system, which triggers response regulator proteins.

Response regulators promote the expression of quorum-sensing-regulated genes, resulting in behaviors such as:

Competence development (e.g., in Streptococcus pneumoniae).

Antibiotic production.

Virulence factor secretion.