Colonial organization and intercellular communication in microorganisms

This review covers the modern concepts and recent data demonstrating the in tegrity and coherence of microbial populations (colonies, biofilms, etc.) a s peculiar "superorganisms." Special attention is given to such relevant ph enomena as apoptosis, bacterial altruism, quorum effects, collective differ entiation of microbial cells, and the formation of population-level structu res such as an extracellular matrix. Emphasis is placed on the channels and agents of intercellular communication in microbial populations. The involv ement of a large number of evolutionarily conserved communicational facilit ies and patterns of intercellular interactions is underscored. Much attenti on is also given to the role of colonial organization and intercellular com munication in parasite/commensal/symbiont-multicellular host organism syste ms.