Methods for the determination of autoinducer-2—a review

Abstract:

Quorum sensing is a cell-cell signaling process that many bacteria use to regulate gene expression by synthesizing small signaling molecules called autoinducers as a function of the density of the population. Most autoinducers are species-specific, however, one autoinducer called autoinducer-2 (AI-2) is produced and detected by many species of bacteria and utilized in interspecies communication. Quantitative determination of AI-2 is essential for exploring the bacterial AI-2-related physiological and biochemical processes. However, there is no standardized method for the quantification of AI-2. Thus, this paper reviews the methods of determination of AI-2 and addresses the need in further research.