Role of autoinducer 2 signalling in shaping spatio-temporal dynamics and host-microbe interactions of the gut microbiota

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Gut microbiome represents a dynamic microbial community that is shaped by a range of microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions. The role of interspecies communication in development of such mixed communities is becoming apparent, although our understanding of its mechanisms in vivo remains limited. The universal signalling molecule autoinducer 2 (AI-2) is known to regulate cell-density-dependent phenotypes of many bacteria and is thus considered a potential interspecies communication signal. However, the role of AI-2 in the establishment and shaping of complex multispecies communities such as that in the gut is not well understood.Here, using E. coli and S. Typhimurium as model organisms, the role of AI-2 signalling in murine gut colonization, interspecies communities formation and infection will be investigated. Additionally, the impact of AI-2 on shaping biogeography and interactions between gut microbiota and the host immune system will be addressed. This will shed light on physiological relevance of AI-2 signalling in gut microbial communities and lay foundation for step-by-step understanding of how microbial communities are formed in the gut, how bacteria within them interact with each other and with the host.