Question

What are some similarities and differences between the signal transduction systems of the regulation of chemotaxis and quorum sensing? Your explanation should include a discussion of the functions of the components of each system (e.g. What is the sensor? What is the kinase? What is the response protein and what does it do?).

Answer 1

Quorum sensing and chemotaxis both regulates movements of organisms by recognition of chemical stimulus.

A sensor is the receptor that recognises chemical moleclues. Once detected chemical stimulant, kinase enzyme phosphorylates and send signals for organism movenment

Chemotaxis :

Chemical gradients can be sensed by transmembrane receptor that is methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs), which vary in the molecules that they detect.Thousands of MCP receptors are known to be encoded across the bacterial kingdom. These receptors may bind attractants or repellents directly or indirectly through interaction with proteins of periplasmatic space. signals from these receptors are transmitted across the plasma membrane into the cytosol, where Che proteins are activated. The Che proteins alter the tumbling frequency, and alter the receptors.

Quorum sensing :

In a biofilm through quorum sensing bacteria sync up gene regulation in control of population density maintancence