Autocrine Signaling and Quorum Sensing: Extreme Ends of a Common Spectrum

Abstract

'Secrete-and-sense cells' can communicate by secreting a signaling molecule while also producing a receptor that detects the molecule. The cell can potentially 'talk' to itself ('self-communication') or talk to neighboring cells with the same receptor ('neighbor communication'). The predominant forms of secrete-and-sense cells are self-communicating 'autocrine cells', which are largely found in animals, and neighbor-communicating 'quorum sensing cells', which are mostly associated with bacteria. While assumed to function independently of one another, recent studies have discovered quorum-sensing organs and autocrine-signaling microbes. Moreover, similar types of genetic circuit control many autocrine and quorum-sensing cells. Here, we outline these recent findings and explain how autocrine and quorum sensing are two sides of a many-sided 'dice' created by the versatile secrete-and-sense cell.

Keywords: cell circuits; cell signaling; multicellular communication; multicellular systems; paracrine signaling; secrete-and-sense cells.