Single-cell approach dissecting agr quorum sensing dynamics in Staphylococcus aureus - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #quorum sensing
- #single-cell analysis
- #Staphylococcus aureus
- Single-cell analysis reveals agr quorum sensing dynamics in Staphylococcus aureus, showing heterogeneity obscured by population-level studies.
- Agr-types display varied sensitivity, with agr-III being largely unresponsive, while agr-IV is highly sensitive with elevated basal activation.
- Bimodal distribution of agr-activation is common, with subpopulations that never activate or switch off despite constant stimulation.
- Asymmetric cross-inhibition exists: AIP-IV suppresses pre-activated agr-I, but AIP-I does not inhibit agr-IV.
- In spatially segregated cocultures, agr-interaction yields four regimes, influenced by agr-type pairing and genetic background.