Design, synthesis, and evaluation of transition-state analogs as inhibitors of the bacterial quorum sensing autoinducer synthase CepI.

Quorum sensing is a bacterial signaling system that involves the synthesis, secretion and detection of signal molecules called autoinducers. The main autoinducer in Gram-negative bacteria are acylated homoserine lactones, produced by the LuxI family of autoinducer synthases and detected by the LuxR family of autoinducer receptors. Quorum sensing allows for changes in gene expression and bacterial behaviors in a coordinated, cell density dependent manner.