The involvement of cell-to-cell signals in the development of a bacterial biofilm
Quorum-sensing mutants form 'unstructured and frail' biofilms—communication isn't just helpful, it's structurally required.
Communication failures don't just slow organizations—they produce structurally weaker results. This landmark paper demonstrated that Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms require quorum sensing to achieve their characteristic architecture. Mutants with defective signaling systems formed biofilms that were 'unstructured and frail'—they could aggregate, but they couldn't coordinate the construction of resilient structures.
The finding reframed biofilm formation as a coordinated construction project, not passive accumulation. Quorum sensing controls roughly 10% of P. aeruginosa genes, including those governing biofilm structure, virulence, and collective behaviors. For organizations, this reveals why teams that communicate poorly produce fragile outputs even when working together: coordination through signaling doesn't just improve efficiency—it's required for structural integrity. The building won't stand without the signals.
Key Findings from Davies et al. (1998)
- Quorum-sensing mutants formed biofilms that were 'unstructured and frail'—communication is structurally required
- Signaling through acylated homoserine lactones enables coordinated biofilm architecture
- Quorum sensing controls ~10% of P. aeruginosa genes including biofilm development and virulence
- Cell density-dependent gene expression creates threshold for collective construction
- Seminal paper establishing quorum sensing role in biofilm formation—heavily cited foundation of field