Autoinducer-2
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.