Complexity Digest 2005.38 - 05

05/09/22

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Complexity, Science & Society Conference 2005
http://complexity.vub.ac.be/~comdig/CSS05/

Microbiology: Bacterial Speech Bubbles, Nature Bookmark and Share

Excerpts: Many bacteria socialize using diffusible signals. But some of these messages are poorly soluble, so how do they move between bacteria? It seems they can be wrapped up in membrane packages instead.

(...) unexpected convergence of two seemingly unrelated areas of microbiological research: how bacteria talk to their friends, and how they attack their enemies. (...) The surprise is that, rather than being secreted as single molecules, PQS is released in bubble-like 'vesicles' that also contain antibacterial agents and probably toxins aimed at host tissue cells as well.