Communication within East Antarctic Soil Bacteria

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
• Main Authors: Wong, Sin Yin, Charlesworth, James C., Benaud, Nicole, Burns, Brendan P., Ferrari, Belinda C.
• Other Authors: Parales, Rebecca E., Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, University International Postgraduate Award
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Microbiology 2019
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.01968-19; https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/AEM.01968-19

Quorum sensing, a type of bacterial communication, is widely known to regulate many processes, including those that confer a survival advantage. However, little is known about communication by bacteria residing within Antarctic soils. Employing a combination of bacterial biosensors, analytical techniques, and genome mining, we found a variety of Antarctic soil bacteria speaking a common language, via LuxI/LuxR-based quorum sensing, thus potentially supporting survival in a mixed microbial community. This study reports potential quorum sensing activity in Antarctic soils and has provided a platform for studying physiological adaptations of microorganisms that allow them to survive in the harsh Antarctic environment.