Effects of bacterial N-acyl homoserine lactones on human Jurkat T lymphocytes-OdDHL induces apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway.

Diverse Gram-negative bacteria communicate with each other by using diffusible N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signaling molecules to coordinate gene expression with cell population density. This mechanism termed 'quorum sensing' is involved in the regulation of physiological functions as well as multiple virulence determinants. It becomes more and more evident, that bacteria communicate not only with each other but also with their host.