Processing of Photosensory Signals in Halobacterium halobium. Common Features of the Bacterial Signalling Chain and of Information Processing in Higher Developed Organisms

Halobacteria recognize changes of light intensity, process the information within the cell, and respond by a particular locomotor behavior. The cell can integrate signals from different photoreceptors and chemoreceptors, and it adapts to constant environmental conditions. The bacteria are already equipped with highly developed devices for acquisition and processing of information, and the question arises, whether the mechanisms which they use can be found as basic components of complex signalling processes in multicellular organisms.