Talmudic Question #47

My microbiome and I are in balance and harmony, which seems miraculous. I wish you the same regularity. Here's a thorny question that arises. We know that our bacteria communicate with our body, but what do we know about what our body tells our bacteria?

Comments

[Tim Sampson]

What a great thought!

I have read some recent work done on showing that a pathogenic Vibrio species responds to norepinephrine in order to activate its T3SS, which is requried for attachment to host cells.

There has also been some studies showing EPEC senses epinephrine/norepinephrine while in the host, and regulates motility and virulence factors based on those signals.

For symbiots and pathogens alike, I would more than expect the communication to be flowing both ways. :-) Life is simply amazing.

Some cites:
Nakano, et al. J Infect Dis. 2007(195). p1353
Sperandio, et al. PNAS 2003(100). p8951
Clarke, et al. PNAS 2006(103). p10420
Clarke, et al. Mol Micro 2005(57). p1734

[Tumnoon]

Quorum sensing is at its edge in exploring this issue, looking specifically at bacterial communication... between intra- and inter-species.

First time I heard of 'Quorum sensing'. I was like... quorum whad? Never heard of it before in my entire life!

[CK]

Apparently I communicate with my bacteria through the chocolate I eat (they prefer dark and not too sweet):

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301308,00.html

[Mark O. Martin]

A timely Talmudic question! I hope that microbiologists have read the latest MICROBE:

http://www.asm.org/microbe/index.asp?bid=63958

The title of the article is: "Microbial Endocrinology Comes of Age," by Mark Lyte and Primrose Freestone.

[qetzal]

Oh, great question!

I don't know anything about it, but if indeed humans have an actively balanced and symbiotic relationship with their commensal bacteria, one would expect some fairly sophisticated cross-kingdom signaling.

Time for a Pub(med) crawl!