Quorum-sensing: The phenomenon of microbial communication

Bacterial cells exhibit several density-dependent phenotypes. Such a biological phenomenon is referred to as quorum-sensing. Quorum-sensing is achieved through the production of an autoinducer by the organism, which upon acquiring a threshold concentration, a direct reflection of population density, is able to activate the genes, bringing into effect the concerned phenotypes. While this cell-to-cell communication has played an important role in many diverse community-based functions, it also helps the establishment of a population in changing environment according to the requirement. This sensing can be put to numerous uses such as in controlling plant and animal diseases, regulation of the production of useful/toxic fermentation products, etc. in the future.