Abstract
Autoinducer 2 (AI-2) is a ubiquitous metabolite but, instead of acting as a “universal signal,” relatively few phenotypes have been associated with it, and many scientists believe AI-2 is often a metabolic byproduct rather than a signal. Here, the aim is to present evidence that AI-2 influences both biofilm formation and motility (swarming and chemotaxis), using Escherichia coli as the model system, to establish AI-2 as a true signal with an important physiological role in this bacterium. In addition, AI-2 signaling is compared to the other primary signal of E. coli, indole, and it is shown that they have opposite effects on biofilm formation and virulence.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 386 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-6 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Microorganisms |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2021 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Microbiology
- Microbiology (medical)
- Virology