Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Biological Chemistry

Peptide Rings Death Knell for Bacteria

October 29, 2007 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 85, Issue 44

Programmed cell death is best known in eukaryotic, multicellular organisms, but it also occurs in bacteria. In both cases, sacrifice of some cells can enable the rest to survive. Molecular biologist Hanna Engelberg-Kulka of Hebrew University's Hadassah Medical School, in Jerusalem, and colleagues have now found that programmed cell death in Escherichia coli bacteria depends on cell-to-cell communication, a process known as quorum sensing. They also found that the death process requires that a certain minimum number of bacteria be present (Science 2007, 318, 652). The communicating cells produce and emit an "extracellular death factor." Once this signaling molecule reaches a sufficient concentration, it activates the cell-death pathway in a subset of the cells. The researchers have isolated and characterized the death factor, which is a pentapeptide. They note that the compound is the first peptide reported to be involved in quorum sensing in E. coli. The findings could provide a lead for developing new antibiotics.

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.