Immunomodulation and the quorum sensing molecule 3-oxo-C12-homoserine lactone: the importance of chemical scaffolding for probe development.

As a guide for chemical probe design, focused analogue synthetic studies were undertaken upon the lactone ring of 3-oxo-C(12)-homoserine lactone. We have concluded that hydrolytic instability of the heterocyclic ring is pivotal for its ability to modulate immune signaling and probe preparation was aligned with these findings.