Small molecules from the human microbiota
Abstract
Human cells are outnumbered by the microbial cells of our commensals by an order of magnitude. All of these organisms are metabolically active and secrete multiple bioactive molecules. Genomics has unveiled a remarkable array of biosynthetic gene clusters in the human microbiota, which encode diverse metabolites. Donia et al. review how molecules ranging from lantibiotics and microcins to indoxyl sulfate and immunemodulatory oligosaccharides and lipids could affect the health and physiology of the whole organism, depending on the composition of an individual's microbial community.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jul 24, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1126/science.1254766
Entities
People
- Michael A. Fischbach
- Mohamed S. Donia
Organizations
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund
- David and Lucile Packard Foundation
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- National Institutes of Health
- Princeton University
- University of California, San Francisco
- W. M. Keck Foundation