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autoinducer-2

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Also known as dihydroxy[(2S,3R,4S)-2-methyldihydrofuran-2,3,3,4(2H)-tetrolato(2-)-kappa~2~O~2~,O~3~]borate(1-) (non-preferred name), (3aS,6S,6aR)-2,2,6,6a-tetrahydroxy-3a-methyltetrahydrofuro[3,2-d][1,3,2]dioxaborolan-2-uide, AI-2, Autoinducer 2

Autoinducer-2 (AI-2) is a furanosyl borate diester or tetrahydroxy furan (species dependent) that—as the name suggests—is an autoinducer, a member of a family of signaling molecules used in quorum sensing. AI-2 is one of only a few known biomolecules incorporating boron. First identified in the marine bacterium Vibrio harveyi, AI-2 is produced and recognized by many Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. AI-2 arises by the reaction of 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione, which is produced enzymatically, with boric acid and is recognized by the two-component sensor kinase LuxPQ in Vibrionaceae.

Wikidata facts

Mass
193.052
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canonical SMILES
[B-]1(OC2(C(O1)(C(CO2)O)O)C)(O)O
isomeric SMILES
[B-]1(O[C@@]2([C@](O1)([C@H](CO2)O)O)C)(O)O
chemical formula
C₅H₁₀BO₇⁻
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Contents
  • Mimicry by host cells
  • References

Autoinducer-2 (AI-2) is a furanosyl borate diester or tetrahydroxy furan (species dependent) that—as the name suggests—is an autoinducer, a member of a family of signaling molecules used in quorum sensing. AI-2 is one of only a few known biomolecules incorporating boron. First identified in the marine bacterium Vibrio harveyi, AI-2 is produced and recognized by many Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. AI-2 arises by the reaction of 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione, which is produced enzymatically, with boric acid and is recognized by the two-component sensor kinase LuxPQ in Vibrionaceae.

AI-2 is actively transported by the Lsr ABC-type transporter into the cell in Enterobacteriaceae and few other bacterial taxa such as Pasteurella, Photorhabdus, Haemophilus, and Bacillus, where it is phosphorylated by LsrK. Then, Phospho-AI-2 binds the transcriptional repressor protein, LsrR, which subsequently is released from the promoter/operator region of the lsr operon – and transcription of the lsr genes is initiated. AI-2 signalling is also regulated by glucose and cAMP/CRP via the lsr operon. In the presence of glucose, low levels of cAMP/CRP result in almost no lsr operon (lsrABCDFG) expression. Without glucose, cAMP-CRP is needed to stimulate the lsr expression, while LsrR represses its expression in the absence of the inducer, phospho-AI-2. As AI-2 accumulates, more AI-2 is taken in via LsrABCD, phosphorylated via LsrK, and the lsr transcription is de-repressed, enabling even more AI-2 uptake.

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