Bacterial pathogens need to sense and respond to their environments during infection to align cell metabolism and virulence factor production to survive and battle host defenses. Complex regulatory networks including ligand-binding transcription factors, two-component systems, RNA-binding proteins, and small non-coding regulatory RNAs adjust gene expression programs in response to changes in metabolic fluxes, environmental cues, and nutrient availability. Recent studies underlined that these different layers of regulation occur along varying spatial and temporal scales, leading to changes in cell behavior and heterogeneity among the bacterial community. This brief review will highlight current research emphasizing that cell metabolism and pathogenesis are inextricably intertwined in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

细菌病原体需要在感染过程中感知并响应其环境，以协调细胞代谢和毒力因子的产生，以生存并抵抗宿主防御。复杂的调控网络包括配体结合转录因子，两组分系统，RNA结合蛋白和小的非编码调控RNA，它们会根据代谢通量，环境提示和养分利用率的变化来调节基因表达程序。最近的研究强调，这些不同的调节层沿不同的空间和时间尺度发生，从而导致细菌群落之间细胞行为和异质性的变化。这篇简短的评论将重点介绍当前的研究，强调革兰氏阳性菌和革兰氏阴性菌中细胞的代谢和发病机理密不可分。