3rd ASM Conference on Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria

American Society For Microbiology, Washington DC

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION: ASM Conference on Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria, Clay Fuqua and Heidi B. Kaplan, Co-Organizers. Bacteria are the paradigm for unicellular life, yet they also exhibit elaborate coordinated behaviors that often defy unicellularity. Single bacterial cells respond to their immediate physical and chemical environment, adapting in response to changing conditions. In the 1960s and 1970s several reports suggested that bacteria might communicate with each other via chemical signals, specifically in regulating genetic competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae and in controlling bioluminescence in Vibrio fischeri, respectively. Research over the past decade has begun to reveal that a wide range of bacteria can communicate by diverse mechanisms. In most cases these microbial conversations occur through the exchange of diffusible signals, although there are also clear examples of cell contact-dependent communication. Many bacteria use these signaling mechanisms to monitor and respond to population density, a process often described as quorum sensing. Interbacterial communication is not however restricted to quorum sensing mechanisms and there is mounting evidence that signaling can function in a range of different capacities. Communication between microorganisms can have profound impacts on human health, as pathogens and commensals often regulate important aspects of their host interactions using signal production and perception. Target functions include, but are not restricted to virulence factors, adhesins, biofilm formation, horizontal gene transfer and the secretion of exoenzymes. Well established systems such as the cyclic oligopeptide signals that regulate Staphylococcus aureus virulence and acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) that control of pathogenesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa are now joined by a number of more recently identified signaling systems. The range and diversity of these systems continues to grow explosively. Due to the rapid pace of discovery in this area of microbiology and the excitement it has generated, the ASM has hosted two previous Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria (CCCB) conferences, in 2001 and in 2004. Strong community support for a third conference led the ASM to commit to the current conference, to be held in Austin, Texas 2007. The goal of this conference is to act as a conduit for the exchange and synthesis and new ideas among leading US and international scientists working on communication. The past two conferences greatly stimulated the cell- cell communication community, led to outstanding discourse and productive new collaborations. A large number of the participants that attend this conference are funded through NIH, and the NIGMS has been generously supportive of the two previous two meetings. We are therefore hopeful that this trend continues for this important microbiology conference. Public Health Relevance Statement: The process of cell-cell communication in bacteria has tremendous impact on human health at several different levels. Pathogenic microorganisms that cause infectious disease in humans represent some of the most intensively studied examples of bacterial signaling. Coordination in the production of colonization factors, toxins, and tissue-damaging enzymes is often mediated through bacterial communication, whereby the infectious populations dictate the time, location and intensity of host damage, to best cope with the immune response. Advances in the understanding of how, why and when microbes employ signaling has great potential to improve our ability to combat infectious agents. New therapies directed towards microbial communication networks promise to augment and improve our current reliance on antibiotics, expanding our ability to treat and prevent disease, and manipulate bacterial behavior for beneficial purposes. The Cell-Cell Communication in Bacteria 2007 conference will gather together the best US and international scientists working in this area to exchange new information, ideas and strategies for targeting and harnessing the recently discovered communication mechanisms of microorganisms. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]