Chemical dialogues at the crossroads of host–bacteria interactions

Abstract

Microbiomes are now recognised as the second genome of eukaryotes, providing diverse life-support functions for their hosts. The impact of microbiome members on the growth and health of their hosts is determined by chemical cues from the host that modulate microbial physiology, virulence, and the biosynthesis of specialised metabolites. In this review, we provide a cross-kingdom comparison of the role of human and plant molecules in regulating bacterial gene expression. We highlight specific feedback loops and discuss common mechanisms of bidirectional cueing in human-and plant-associated bacteria. Despite the different taxonomies of human-and plant-associated bacteria, we find striking functional similarities in the chemical dialogues at the crossroads of host-bacteria interactions.