Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Research on population organization and communication in microorganisms

  • Conference Proceedings
  • Published:
Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This review concentrates on the history of the subfield of microbiology referred to as the population organization-and communication-related research direction (POCRRD). The focal points of POCRRD include intercellular interactions, information exchange between cells, and multicellular structures (colonies, biofilms, flocs, etc.). Special attention in this review is given to the contribution of Russian scientists to the development of POCRRD. In terms of POCRRD, microorganisms are viewed as social creatures that constantly communicate and form supraorganismic, intrinsically heterogeneous systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kirovskaya, T.A., Research on Microbial Population Organization and Intercellular Communication in the USSR (Russia) in the Second Half of the 20th Century, Cand. Sci. (Biol.) Dissertation, Moscow: Institute of History of Science and Technology, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Morozov, G.F., Science of Forestry, St. Petersburg, 1912.

  3. Rahn, O., Über Den Einfluß der Stoffwechselprodukte auf das Wachstum der Bakterien, Zbl. Bakteriol. Parasitenk, 1906, vol. 16, pp. 417–429.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Penfold, W.J., On the Nature of the Bacterial Lag, J. Hygiene, 1914, vol. 14, pp. 215–241.

    Google Scholar 

  5. El’-Registan, G.I., Role of membranotropic Autoregulatory Factors in the Processes of Microbial Growth and Development, Doctoral (Biol.) Dissertation, Moscow: Institute of Microbiology, USSR Academy of Sciences, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Ierusalimsky, N.D., On the Physiological Stages of Development of Bacteria, Mikrobiologiya, 1946, vol. 15, pp. 405–416.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ierusalimsky, N.D., Azotnoe i vitaminnoe pitanie mikrobov (Nitrogen and Vitamin Nutrition of Microorganisms), Moscow: Akad. Nauk SSSR, 1949.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ierusalimsky, N.D., The Problem of Bacterial Ontogenesis and the Ways of its Solving, Trudy Instituta Mikrobiologii AN SSSR, 1951, vol. 1, pp. 5–43.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ierusalimsky, N.D., Physiology of Development of Pure Bacterial Cultures, Doctoral (Biol.) Dissertation, Moscow: Institut mikrobiologii AN SSSR, 1952.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Khmel, I.A., Quorum-Sensing Regulation of Gene Expression: Fundamental and Applied Aspects and the Role in Bacterial Communication, Mikrobiologiya, 2006, vol. 75, no. 4.

  11. Ierusalimsky, N.D., Physiology of Development of Pure Bacterial Cultures, Extended Abstract of Doctoral (Biol.) Dissertation, Institute of Microbiology, USSR Academy of Sciences, 1952.

  12. Gamaleya, N.F., Heterotrophic Bacteria under the Influence of Lithium Salts, Vrach, 1894, no. 20.

  13. Legroux, R. and Magrou, J., Etat organisé des colonies bacteriennes, Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 1920, vol. 34, pp. 417–431.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Prozorovskii, S.V., Kats, L.N., and Kagan, G.Ya., L-formy bakterii (L-Forms of Bacteria), Moscow: Meditsina, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kleinberger-Nobel, E., The Natural Occurrence of Pleuropneumonia-Like Organisms, Their Apparent Symbiosis with Streptobacillus moniliformis and Other Bacteria, J. Pathol. Bacteriol, 1935, vol. 40, pp. 93–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Dienes, L. and Weinberger, L., The L-forms of bacteria, Bacteriol. Rev, 1951, vol. 15, pp. 245–288.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Vysotskii, V.V., Ultrastructure of Brucellas. Report 1: Ulstrastructure of the S cells, Zhurn. Mikrobiol, 1965, vol. 11, pp. 3–6.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Vysotskii, V.V. and Androsov, V.V., Characteristics of the Cellular Ultrastructure in the Intact Population of some S. typhimurium and E. coli strains, Zhurn. Mikrobiol. Epidemnaya. Immunobiol, 1976, no. 12, pp. 32–37.

  19. Vysotskii, V.V., Zaslavskaya, P.L., Mashkova, A.V., and Baulina, O.I., Polymorphism as a Rule in Development of Prokaryotic Populations, Biologicheskie Nauki, 1991, no. 12, pp. 5–17.

  20. Zharikova, G.G., Makarova, G.Ya., Poglazova, M.N., and Zarubina, A.P., Colony Formation and Development in Dissociated forms of Bacillus brevis G-B, Mikrobiologiya, 1966, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 647–650.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Milko, E.S., Sperlup, O.W., and Rabotnova, I.L., Die Milchsäuregärung von Lactobacterium delbruckii bei Kontinuierlicher Kultivierung, Z. Allg. Mikrobiol, 1966, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 297–301.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Mil’ko, E.S. and Egorov, N.S., Geterogennost’ populyatsii bakterii i protsess dissotsiatsii (Heterogeneity of Bacterial Populations and the Process of Dissociation), Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ., 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Baulina, O.I., Semenova, L.R., Mineeva, L.A., and Gusev, M.V., The Ultrastructural Organization in the Cells of Heterotrophic Blue-Green Alga Chlorogloea fritschii, Mikrobiologiya, 1978, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 919–925.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Gusev, M.V., Baulina, O.I., Semenova, L.R., and Mineeva, L.A., Ultrastructure of Lysozyme-Induced and Spontaneously Formed Cyanobacteria Chlorogloea fritschii with Cell Wall Deficiency, Mikrobiologiya, 1982, vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 622–627.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Gusev, M.V., Baulina, O.I., Semenova, L.R., Mineeva, L.A., and Kats, L.N., Electron Microscopic Study of L-Like Colonies of Chlorogloea fritschii Cyanobacteriai, Mikrobiologiya, 1983, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 629–633.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Baulina, O.I., Agafodorova, M.N., Korzhenevskaya, T.G., Gusev, M.V., and Butenko, R.G., Cyanobacteria in an Artificial Association with Tobacco Callus Tissue, Mikrobiologiya, 1984, vol. 53, no. 6, pp. 997–1002.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Baulina, O.I. and Lobakova, E.S., Atypical Cell Forms Overproducing Extracellular Substances in Populations of Cycad Cyanobionts, Mikrobiologiya, 2003, vol. 72 no. 6, pp. 792–805 [Microbiology (Engl. Transl.), 2003, vol. 72, no. 6, pp. 701–712].

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Gorelova, O.A., Communication of Cyanobacteria with Plant Partners During Association Formation, Mikrobiologiya, 2006, vol. 75, no. 4 [Microbiology (Engl. Transl.), 2006, vol. 75, no. 4].

  29. Smirnov, K.K. and Smirnov, S.G., Some Aspects of Measurement of the Physicochemical Parameters of Developing Pathogenic Bacteria, in Fiziko-khimicheskie issledovaniya patogennykh enterobakterii v protsesse kul’tivirovaniya (Physicochemical Research on Pathogenic Enterobacteria During Cultivation), Ivanovo: Ivanovskii gosudarstvennyi meditsinskii institut, 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Smirnov, S.G., The Problem of Choice of Substantial Parameters for Systemic Study of Bacterial Batch Cultures, in Fiziko-khimicheskie issledovaniya patogennykh enterobakterii v protsesse kul’tivirovaniya (Physicochemical Research on Pathogenic Enterobacteria During Cultivation), Ivanovo: Ivanovskii gosudarstvennyi meditsinskii institut, 1979, pp. 13–24.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Smirnov, S.G., Etologiya bakterii (Ethology of Bacteria), Ivanovo: Ivanovskaya gosudarstvennaya meditsinskaya akademiya, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Stoodley, P., Sauer, K., Davies, D.G., and Costerton, J.W., Biofilms As Complex Differentiated Communities, Annu. Rev. Microbiol., 2002, vol. 56, pp. 187–209.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Agladze, K., Wang, X., and Romeo, T., Spatial Periodicity of Escherichia coli K-12 Biofilm Microstructure Initiates During a Reversible, Polar Attachment Phase of Development and Requires the Polysaccharide Adhesion PGA, J. Bacteriol., 2005, vol. 187, no. 24, pp. 8237–8246.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Khokhlov, A.S., Anisova, L.S., and Tovarova, I.I., Effect of A-Factor on the Growth of Asporogenic Mutants of Streptomyces griseus, Z. Allg. Mikrobiol, 1973, vol. 13, pp. 647–655.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Kornitskaya, E.Ya., Tovarova, I.I., Soifer, V.S., and Khokhlov, A.S., Research on the Regulation of Streptomycin Biosynthesis Using a Blocked Mutant of Actinomyces streptomycini, Antibiotiki, 1976, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 10–14.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Hara, O.T. and Beppu, T., Mutants Blocked in Streptomycin Production in Streptomyces griseus-the Role of the A-Factor, J. Antibiot., 1982, vol. 35, pp. 349–358.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Miyake, K., Kuzuyama, T., Horinouchi, S., and Beppu, T., The A-Factor-Binding Protein of Streptomyces griseus Negatively Controls Streptomycin Production and Sporulation, J. Bacteriol., 1990, vol. 172, no. 6, pp. 3003–3009.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Bukharin, O.V., Gintsburg, A.L., Romanova, Yu.M., El’-Registan, G.I. Mekhanizmy vyzhivaniya bakterii (Mechanisms of Bacterial Survival), Moscow: Meditsyna, p. 367.

  39. Kapel’yants, A.S., El’-Registan, G.I., Kozlova, A.N., Mityushina, L.L., Duzha, M.V., Poplaukhina, O.G., Duda, V.I., Ostrovskii, D.I., and Ignatov, S.G., Changes of Metabolism and Ultrastructural Organization of Bacillus cereus Cells under the Influence of the Specific Autoregulatory Factor, Eksperimental’noe izuchenie razvitiya mikroorganizmov (Experimental Study of Microbial Development), Pariiskaya, A.I., Ed., Pushchino-na-Oke: USSR Acad. Sci. NTsBI, 1978, pp. 24–25.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Duda, V.I., Pronin, S.V., El’-Registan, G.I., Kaprel’yants, A.S., and Mityushin, L.L., Formation of Refractive Resting Cells in Bacillus cereus under the Influence of an Autoregulatory Factor, Mikrobiologiya, 1982, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 77–81.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Pshenichnov, R.A., Kolotov, V.M., Korobov, V.P., Barikhin, S.Ya., Sokolova, N.A., Ivakina, A.M., and Tkachenko, A.G., On the Existence of Specific Factors Controlling the Development of Microbial Populations. First Observations on Revealing the Factor Limiting Biomass Accumulation in Escherichia coli M-17 Cultures, Ekologiya, 1973, no. 3, pp. 5–13.

  42. Pshenichnov, R.A., Kolotov, V.M., Barikhin, S.Ya., Tkachenko, A.G., and Dedyukina, M.M., Microbial Culture as an Autoregulated System, Ekologiya i populyatsionnaya genetika mikroorganizmov, (Ecology and Population Genetics of Microorganisms), Shvarts, S.S., Ed., Sverdlovsk: Ural’skii nauchnyi tsentr AN SSSR, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Pshenichnov, R.A., Tkachenko, A.G., and Zelenin, E.N., Effect of Extracellular Autometabolites on the Ecological Coefficient of Escherichia coli populations of Different Density, Ekologiya, 1981, no. 1, pp. 93–95.

  44. Vakhitov, T.Ya., Aleksin, L.M., and Osokova, L.I., Role of Intrapopulation Factors at the Stage of Escherichia coli Death, Tez. IV Vses. konf. “Upravlyaemoe kul’tivirovanie mikroorganizmov” (Tses. IV Ull-Union Conf. “Controlled Cultivation of Microorganisms”), Pushchino, 1986, pp. 55–56.

  45. Vakhitov, T.Ya., Protasov, E.A., Visnol’d, N.V., Tolparov, Yu.N., and Petrov, L.N., Isolation and Identification of Escherichia coli Growth Autostimulators, Zhurn. Mikrobiol. Epidemiol. Immunobiol, 2003, no. 2, pp. 7–12.

  46. Oleskin, A.V., Kirovskaya, T.A., Botvinko, I.V., and Lysak, L.V., Effects of Serotonin (5-Hydroxytryptamine) on the Growth and Differentiation of Microorganisms, Mikrobiologiya, 1998, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 305–312 [Microbiology (Engl. Transl.), 1998, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 251–257].

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Kirovskaya, T.A., Effects of Serotonin on the Physiology and Colonial Organization of Microorganisms, in EURESCO Conference “Bacterial Neural Networks (Intracellular Signalling)”. Book of Abstracts, Holland, B., et al., Eds., Obernai (France), 2002, p. 48.

  48. Kagarlitskii, G.O., Kirovskaya, T.A., and Oleskin, A.V., Effect of Neuromediator Amines on Microbial Growth and Respiration, Biopolitika. Otkrytyi mezhdistsiplinarnyi seminar na biologicheskom fakul’tete Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta im. M.V. Lomonosova (Biopolitics. An Open Interdisciplinary Seminar in the Biological Faculty of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University), M.: Mosk. Gos. Univ., 2003, pp. 13–17.

  49. Tsavkelova, E.A., Botvinko, I.V., Kudrin, V.S., and Oleskin, A.V., Detection of Neuromediator Amines in Microorganisms by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Dokl. Akad. Nauk, 2000, vol. 372, pp. 840–842.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Sewertzowa, L.B., Über den Einfluß der mitogenetischen Strahlen auf die Vermehrung der Bacterien, Biol. Zentralbl., 1929, vol. 49, pp. 212–225.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Tambiev, A.Kh., Kirikova, N.N., Betskii, O.V., and Gulyaev, Yu.V., Millimetrovye volny i fotosinteziruyushchie organizmy (Millimeter Waves and Photosynthetic Organisms), Moscow: Radiotekhnika, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  52. Nikolaev, Yu.A., Distant Interactions Between Bacterial Cells, Mikrobiologiya, 1992, vol. 61, no. 6, pp. 1066–1071.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Matsuhashi, M., Shindo, A., Ohshina, H., Tobi, M., Endo, S., Watanabe, H., Watanabe, H., and Pankrushina, A.N., Cellular Signals Regulating Antibiotic Sensitivities of Bacteria, Microbial Drug Res, 1996, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 91–93.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Nikolaev, Yu.A., Mulyukin, A.L., Stepanenko, I.Yu., and El’-Registan, G.I., Autoretulyatsiya stressovogo otveta mikroorganizmov, Mikrobiologiya, 2006, vol. 75, no. 4.

  55. Smirnov, S.G., Bacterial Ethology, a New Direction in Prokaryote Research, in Fiziko-khimicheskie issledovaniya patogennykh enterobakterii v protsesse kul’tivirovaniya (Physicochemical Research on Pathogenic Enterobacteria During Cultivation), Ivanovo: Ivanovskii gosudarstvennyi meditsinskii institut, 1985, pp. 5–10.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Oleskin, A.V., Superorganismal Level of Interaction in Microbial Populations, Mikrobiologiya, 1993, vol. 62, no. 3, pp. 389–403.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Oleskin, A.V., Social Behaviour of Microbial Populations, J. Basic Microbiol., 1994, vol. 34, no. 6, pp. 425–439.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Shapiro, J.A., Bacteria as Multicellular Organisms, Scientific American, 1988, no. 8, pp. 46–54.

  59. Corning, P., Nature’s Magic. Synergy in Evolution and the Fate of Humankind, Cambridge: (Mass.): Cambridge Univ. Press, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  60. Sherstobaev, K.N., On the Movement of Bacterial Colonies, Mikrobiologiya, 1961, vol. 30, pp. 91–98.

    Google Scholar 

  61. Puzyr’, A.P. and Mogil’naya, O.A., Electron Microscopic Study of the Structure of Colonies of Some Bacterial Species, Krasnoyarsk: Institut fiziki SO AN SSSR, Preprint no. 886, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  62. Puzyr’, A.P., Mogil’naya, O.A., and Tirranen, L.S., Architectonics of Flavobacterium sp. 56 and Flavobacterium sp. 22 Colonies as Exposed by Transmission Electron Microscopy, Mikrobiologiya, 1998, vol. 67, no. 5, pp. 672–679 [Microbiology (Engl. Transl., 1998, vol. 67, no. 5, pp. 555–562].

    Google Scholar 

  63. Budrene, E.O., Formation of Spatially Ordered Structures in Colonies of Motile Bacteria on Agar, Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 1985, vol. 383, no. 2, pp. 470–473.

    Google Scholar 

  64. Budrene, E.O. and Berg, H., Dynamics of Formation of Symmetrical Patterns by Chemotactic Bacteria, Nature, 1995, vol. 376, pp. 49–53.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Botvinko, I.V., Bacterial Exopolysaccharides, Usp. Mikrobiol., 1985, vol. 20, pp. 79–122.

    Google Scholar 

  66. Oleskin, A.V., Botvinko, I.V., and Tsavkelova, E.A., Colonial Organization and Intercellular Communication in Microorganisms, Mikrobiologiya, 2000, vol. 69, no. 3, pp. 309–327 [Microbiology (Engl. Transl.), vol. 69, no. 3, pp. 249–265].

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Kinsinger, R.F., Kearns, D.B., Hale, M., and Fall, R., Genetic Requirements for Potassium Ion-Dependent Colony Spreading in Bacillus subtilis, J. Bacteriol., 2005, vol. 187, no. 24, pp. 8462–8469.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Keshavan, N.D., Chowdhury, P.K., Haines, D.C., and González, J.E., L-Canavanine Made by Medicago sativa Interferes with Quorum Sensing in Sinorhizobium meliloti, J. Bacteriol., 2005, vol. 187, pp. 8427–8436.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Greenberg, E.P., Tiny Teamwork Bacterial Communication, Nature, 2003, vol. 424, p. 134.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Gradova, N.B., Rodionova, G.S., and Mikhalev, V.V., The Main Microbiological Problems in Growing Fodder Yeast on Media with Oil Hydrocarbons, Mikrobiologicheskii Sintez, 1970, no. 1, pp. 21–28.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sector for Biosocial Studies, Department of Microbial Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia

    A. V. Oleskin & T. A. Kirovskaya

Authors
  1. A. V. Oleskin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. A. Kirovskaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. V. Oleskin.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © A.V. Oleskin, T.A. Kirovskaya, 2006, published in Mikrobiologiya, 2006, Vol. 75, No. 4, pp. 440–445.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Oleskin, A.V., Kirovskaya, T.A. Research on population organization and communication in microorganisms. Microbiology 75, 374–379 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261706040023

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261706040023

Key words

Search

Navigation