Understanding the development and stability/variability of bacterial ecosystems (such as those found in biofilms, minimal multispecies gut models, and endosymbiont-host relationships) would be helpful in manipulating such bacterial communities for therapeutic ends. Here we present the Lsr module (known to import and process the quorum sensing molecule Autoinducer-2) as a mechanism for generating a stable intraspecies population division. A hybrid between the Lac operon and other quorum signaling systems, the Lsr module does not regulate the production of its own inducer, although the bacteria do synthesize and export it. Building off of existing Lac system mathematical models, we construct a model that describes Lsr system behavior. The model has only a single steady state when modeling a unified population, but multiple steady states when populations with different noise terms compete against each other. This modeling may explain apparently stable bimodal Lsr activity in E. coli batch growth.

Quorum sensing as a mechanism for the stable population division in batch cultures

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.