A global perspective on autoinducer-2-mediated cell communication in prokaryotes

Animal communication within a community is essential for their survival and reproduction. This phenomenon is not restricted to animals but is also prevalent in prokaryotes, which employ quorum sensing (QS) mechanisms for communication and behavior. Despite their importance, cell-cell communication in prokaryotes has not been cataloged in detail. Therefore, we developed a comprehensive map of cell-cell microbial communication by analyzing 15,297 prokaryotic genomes, thereby expanding the scope of the AI-2 signal in the microbiome. We showed that LsrB receptors are found in 15 bacterial phyla and can regulate the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of siderophore group nonribosomal peptides and biofilm formation via LsrB in <i>Streptomyces coelicolor</i>. We also conducted an international prospective study of microbial communication models across distinct habitats. These findings highlight the importance of microbial communication and will enable comprehensive studies of large-scale microbial communities, greatly expanding our understanding of AI-2 in the microbial consortium.