A phenomenon where microorganisms communicate and coordinate their behavior by the accumulation of signaling molecules. A reaction occurs when a substance accumulates to a sufficient concentration. This is most commonly seen in bacteria.

Cell cell signal mechanism where bacteria secrete hormone like compounds (autoinducers) that interact with bacterial transcription regulators that drive gene expression.

The cell-cell signaling process in which single-celled organisms carry out coordinated responses by monitoring their own population density, and often also that of other microbes, by producing small, diffusible, signal molecules, detecting the concentration of these molecules, and triggering a signal transduction pathway when a certain threshold is reached. Quorum sensing can occur amongst microbial communities in the environment or within host organisms.

Quorum sensing, mechanism by which bacteria regulate gene expression in accordance with population density through the use of signal molecules. Quorum sensing allows bacteria populations to communicate and coordinate group behaviour and commonly is used by pathogens (disease-causing organisms) in...