  One of the leading candidates for quantum gravity, viz. string theory, has
the following features incorporated in it. (i) The full spacetime is higher
dimensional, with (possibly) compact extra-dimensions; (ii) There is a natural
minimal length below which the concept of continuum spacetime needs to be
modified by some deeper concept. On the other hand, the existence of a minimal
length (or zero-point length) in four-dimensional spacetime, with obvious
implications as UV regulator, has been often conjectured as a natural aftermath
of any correct quantum theory of gravity. We show that one can incorporate the
apparently unrelated pieces of information - zero-point length,
extra-dimensions, string T-duality - in a consistent framework. This is done in
terms of a modified Kaluza-Klein theory that interpolates between (high-energy)
string theory and (low-energy) quantum field theory. In this model, the
zero-point length in four dimensions is a ``virtual memory'' of the length
scale of compact extra-dimensions.
  Such a scale turns out to be determined by T-duality inherited from the
underlying fundamental string theory. From a low energy perspective short
distance infinities are cut off by a minimal length which is proportional to
the square root of the string slope, i.e. \sqrt{\alpha^\prime}. Thus, we bridge
the gap between the string theory domain and the low energy arena of
point-particle quantum field theory.
