Scholarlink

<p>Cell-cell communication (CCC) contributes to bacterial survival and adaptability. Gram-positive bacteria employ secreted peptides to coordinate CCC. While the molecular pathways activated by these peptides are well studied, little is known about how individual cells contribute to initiating the signaling response. To address this question, we used microdroplet arrays to examine the major human pathogen <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> and its TprA/PhrA regulator/peptide CCC system, which promotes colonization and virulence. We measured <i>phrA</i> promoter activity in wild-type&#xa0;(WT) cells and in a <i>phrA</i> deletion mutant, using populations seeded before signaling began. As signaling emerged, we observed heterogeneity in <i>S. pneumoniae</i> signaling within and across microdroplets. Addition of exogenous PhrA increased both the magnitude of signal and the percentage of signaling cells, yet it did not reduce the heterogeneity of signal. When examining whether PhrA peptide produced from WT cells was shared with Δ<i>phrA</i> cells, we found a preference for self-signaling over signaling to neighboring cells. Overall, we developed a platform to quantify cell-cell signaling at the single-cell level and determined that at early stages TprA/PhrA signaling is highly heterogeneous and primarily targets producing cells. We propose that this heterogeneity and its amplification through autoinduction may confer a fitness advantage to the population.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Quantitative analysis of bacterial cell-cell communication at the single-cell level using microdroplet arrays

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月16日

查看全文
  • Corine Jackman Burden,
  • Matthew Hou,
  • Anne Liu,
  • Lydia Eutsey,
  • Rory Eutsey,
  • Joel Greenhouse,
  • Frederick Lanni,
  • Shelley L. Anna,
  • N. Luisa Hiller

摘要

Cell-cell communication (CCC) contributes to bacterial survival and adaptability. Gram-positive bacteria employ secreted peptides to coordinate CCC. While the molecular pathways activated by these peptides are well studied, little is known about how individual cells contribute to initiating the signaling response. To address this question, we used microdroplet arrays to examine the major human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae and its TprA/PhrA regulator/peptide CCC system, which promotes colonization and virulence. We measured phrA promoter activity in wild-type (WT) cells and in a phrA deletion mutant, using populations seeded before signaling began. As signaling emerged, we observed heterogeneity in S. pneumoniae signaling within and across microdroplets. Addition of exogenous PhrA increased both the magnitude of signal and the percentage of signaling cells, yet it did not reduce the heterogeneity of signal. When examining whether PhrA peptide produced from WT cells was shared with ΔphrA cells, we found a preference for self-signaling over signaling to neighboring cells. Overall, we developed a platform to quantify cell-cell signaling at the single-cell level and determined that at early stages TprA/PhrA signaling is highly heterogeneous and primarily targets producing cells. We propose that this heterogeneity and its amplification through autoinduction may confer a fitness advantage to the population.