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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Feb 11.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Microbiol. 2016 Aug 11;14(9):576–588. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.89

Figure 6. AI-2-mediated quorum sensing in the mammalian gut.

Figure 6

Gut microorganisms communicate using autoinducer 2 (AI-2). Treatment with antibiotics can alter the composition of the microbiota, which can be ameliorated by modulating levels of AI-2. Eukaryotic cells produce cytokines, such as interleukin-8 (IL-8), in response to AI-2. Hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline) and AI-2 mimics are produced by the host and can be detected by bacteria. Quorum sensing can alter phenotypic heterogeneity among isogenic members of a bacterial population, which affects virulence-related traits, such as biofilm formation.