Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

The microbiome-shaping roles of bacteriocins

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 19, pages 726–739 (2021)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

The microbiomes on human body surfaces affect health in multiple ways. They include not only commensal or mutualistic bacteria but also potentially pathogenic bacteria, which can enter sterile tissues to cause invasive infection. Many commensal bacteria produce small antibacterial molecules termed bacteriocins that have the capacity to eliminate specific colonizing pathogens; as such, bacteriocins have attracted increased attention as potential microbiome-editing tools. Metagenome-based and activity-based screening approaches have strongly expanded our knowledge of the abundance and diversity of bacteriocin biosynthetic gene clusters and the properties of a continuously growing list of bacteriocin classes. The dynamic acquisition, diversification or loss of bacteriocin genes can shape the fitness of a bacterial strain that is in competition with bacteriocin-susceptible bacteria. However, a bacteriocin can only provide a competitive advantage if its fitness benefit exceeds the metabolic cost of production, if it spares crucial mutualistic partner strains and if major competitors cannot develop resistance. In contrast to most currently available antibiotics, many bacteriocins have only narrow activity ranges and could be attractive agents for precision therapy and prevention of infections. A common scientific strategy involving multiple disciplines is needed to uncover the immense potential of microbiome-shaping bacteriocins.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Effects of bacteriocins on microbial community dynamics and composition.
Fig. 2: Examples of small-molecule bacteriocins.
Fig. 3: Antimicrobial mechanisms of bacteriocins.
Fig. 4: Evolution and effects on bacterial fitness of bacteriocin BGC transfer.
Fig. 5: Roles of pathogen-targeting bacteriocins.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gilbert, J. A. et al. Current understanding of the human microbiome. Nat. Med. 24, 392–400 (2018).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Byndloss, M. X., Pernitzsch, S. R. & Bäumler, A. J. Healthy hosts rule within: ecological forces shaping the gut microbiota. Mucosal Immunol. 11, 1299–1305 (2018).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Donia, M. S. & Fischbach, M. A. Human microbiota. Small molecules from the human microbiota. Science 349, 1254766 (2015). This article highlights the human microbiome as a source for new antibiotics and other drugs.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Palmer, L. D. & Skaar, E. P. Transition metals and virulence in bacteria. Annu. Rev. Genet. 50, 67–91 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Mukherjee, S. & Bassler, B. L. Bacterial quorum sensing in complex and dynamically changing environments. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 17, 371–382 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. McCarville, J. L., Chen, G. Y., Cuevas, V. D., Troha, K. & Ayres, J. S. Microbiota metabolites in health and disease. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 38, 147–170 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Brennan, C. A. & Garrett, W. S. Gut microbiota, inflammation, and colorectal cancer. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 70, 395–411 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Lewis, B. B. & Pamer, E. G. Microbiota-based therapies for Clostridium difficile and antibiotic-resistant enteric infections. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 71, 157–178 (2017). This article is a comprehensive review of how to harness beneficial microbes to prevent colonization by antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Krismer, B., Weidenmaier, C., Zipperer, A. & Peschel, A. The commensal lifestyle of Staphylococcus aureus and its interactions with the nasal microbiota. Nat. Rev. Microbiol 15, 675–687 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. García-Bayona, L. & Comstock, L. E. Bacterial antagonism in host-associated microbial communities. Science 361, eaat2456 (2018). This article discusses the impact of bacteriocins and related molecules on bacterial communities.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cotter, P. D., Ross, R. P. & Hill, C. Bacteriocins — a viable alternative to antibiotics? Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 11, 95–105 (2013). This seminal review article discusses the potential use of bacteriocins as therapeutic antibiotics.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Jamet, A. & Nassif, X. New players in the toxin field: polymorphic toxin systems in bacteria. mBio 6, e00285-15 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Brackmann, M., Nazarov, S., Wang, J. & Basler, M. Using force to punch holes: mechanics of contractile nanomachines. Trends Cell Biol. 27, 623–632 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ruhe, Z. C., Low, D. A. & Hayes, C. S. Polymorphic toxins and their immunity proteins: diversity, evolution, and mechanisms of delivery. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 74, 497–520 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Simons, A., Alhanout, K. & Duval, R. E. Bacteriocins, antimicrobial peptides from bacterial origin: overview of their biology and their impact against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Microorganisms 8, 639 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Arnison, P. G. et al. Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products: overview and recommendations for a universal nomenclature. Nat. Prod. Rep. 30, 108–160 (2013). This article is a comprehensive overview of the diverse field of RiPPs.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Ducarmon, Q. R. et al. Gut microbiota and colonization resistance against bacterial enteric infection. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 83, e00007-19 (2019).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Wexler, A. G. & Goodman, A. L. An insider’s perspective: Bacteroides as a window into the microbiome. Nat. Microbiol. 2, 17026 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Otto, M. Staphylococci in the human microbiome: the role of host and interbacterial interactions. Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 53, 71–77 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Alanjary, M. et al. The Antibiotic Resistant Target Seeker (ARTS), an exploration engine for antibiotic cluster prioritization and novel drug target discovery. Nucleic Acids Res. 45, W42–W48 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Zeytuni, N. et al. Structural insight into the Staphylococcus aureus ATP-driven exporter of virulent peptide toxins. Sci. Adv. 6, eabb8219 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Krauss, S. et al. Secretion of and self-resistance to the novel fibupeptide antimicrobial lugdunin by distinct ABC transporters in Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 65, e01734-20 (2020).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Bennallack, P. R., Burt, S. R., Heder, M. J., Robison, R. A. & Griffitts, J. S. Characterization of a novel plasmid-borne thiopeptide gene cluster in Staphylococcus epidermidis strain 115. J. Bacteriol. 196, 4344–4350 (2014).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Wang, X., Gu, Q. & Breukink, E. Non-lipid II targeting lantibiotics. Biochim. Biophys. Acta Biomembr. 1862, 183244 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Baquero, F., Lanza, V. F., Baquero, M. R., Del Campo, R. & Bravo-Vázquez, D. A. Microcins in Enterobacteriaceae: peptide antimicrobials in the eco-active intestinal chemosphere. Front. Microbiol. 10, 2261 (2019).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Sánchez-Hidalgo, M. et al. AS-48 bacteriocin: close to perfection. Cell Mol. Life Sci. 68, 2845–2857 (2011).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Liu, Y. et al. Skin microbiota analysis-inspired development of novel anti-infectives. Microbiome 8, 85 (2020).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Maldonado-Barragán, A., Caballero-Guerrero, B., Martín, V., Ruiz-Barba, J. L. & Rodríguez, J. M. Purification and genetic characterization of gassericin E, a novel co-culture inducible bacteriocin from Lactobacillus gasseri EV1461 isolated from the vagina of a healthy woman. BMC Microbiol. 16, 37 (2016).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Tronnet, S. et al. The genotoxin colibactin shapes gut microbiota in mice. mSphere 5, e00589–20 (2020). This study reports that colibactin is not only a genotoxin but also an NRP bacteriocin.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. O’Neill, A. M. et al. Identification of a human skin commensal bacterium that selectively kills Cutibacterium acnes. J. Invest. Dermatol. 140, 1619–1628.e1612 (2020).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Guinane, C. M. et al. The bacteriocin bactofencin A subtly modulates gut microbial populations. Anaerobe 40, 41–49 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Quereda, J. J. et al. Bacteriocin from epidemic Listeria strains alters the host intestinal microbiota to favor infection. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 113, 5706–5711 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Riboulet-Bisson, E. et al. Effect of Lactobacillus salivarius bacteriocin Abp118 on the mouse and pig intestinal microbiota. PLoS ONE 7, e31113 (2012).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  34. Bitschar, K. et al. Lugdunin amplifies innate immune responses in the skin in synergy with host- and microbiota-derived factors. Nat. Commun. 10, 2730 (2019).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Chanos, P. & Mygind, T. Co-culture-inducible bacteriocin production in lactic acid bacteria. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 100, 4297–4308 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Ghazaryan, L., Tonoyan, L., Ashhab, A. A., Soares, M. I. & Gillor, O. The role of stress in colicin regulation. Arch. Microbiol. 196, 753–764 (2014).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Nedialkova, L. P. et al. Inflammation fuels colicin Ib-dependent competition of Salmonella serovar Typhimurium and E. coli in enterobacterial blooms. PLoS Pathog. 10, e1003844 (2014).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Kommineni, S. et al. Bacteriocin production augments niche competition by enterococci in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. Nature 526, 719–722 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  39. Sassone-Corsi, M. et al. Microcins mediate competition among Enterobacteriaceae in the inflamed gut. Nature 540, 280–283 (2016). This study describes how a bacteriocin can exclude a pathogen specifically under conditions of inflammation.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Kim, S. G. et al. Microbiota-derived lantibiotic restores resistance against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus. Nature 572, 665–669 (2019). This article presents a mouse model and patient cohort-based report on exclusion of VRE by nisin-producing commensals.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  41. Besse, A. et al. Halocin C8: an antimicrobial peptide distributed among four halophilic archaeal genera: Natrinema, Haloterrigena, Haloferax, and Halobacterium. Extremophiles 21, 623–638 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Wang, S., Zheng, Z., Zou, H., Li, N. & Wu, M. Characterization of the secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters in archaea. Comput. Biol. Chem. 78, 165–169 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Zasloff, M. Antimicrobial peptides of multicellular organisms: my perspective. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 1117, 3–6 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Duquesne, S., Petit, V., Peduzzi, J. & Rebuffat, S. Structural and functional diversity of microcins, gene-encoded antibacterial peptides from enterobacteria. J. Mol. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 13, 200–209 (2007).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Ness, I. F., Diep, D. B. & Ike, Y. in Enterococci: From Commensals to Leading Causes of Drug Resistant Infection (eds Gilmore, M. S., Clewell, D. B., Ike, Y., & Shankar, N.) 637–668 (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 2014).

  46. Bastos, M. C., Ceotto, H., Coelho, M. L. & Nascimento, J. S. Staphylococcal antimicrobial peptides: relevant properties and potential biotechnological applications. Curr. Pharm. Biotechnol. 10, 38–61 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Pons, A. M. et al. Genetic analysis and complete primary structure of microcin L. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 48, 505–513 (2004).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  48. Bédard, F. et al. Synthesis, antimicrobial activity and conformational analysis of the class IIa bacteriocin pediocin PA-1 and analogs thereof. Sci. Rep. 8, 9029 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Coyne, M. J. et al. A family of anti-Bacteroidales peptide toxins wide-spread in the human gut microbiota. Nat. Commun. 10, 3460 (2019). This study describes a new group of class II bacteriocins in Bacteroidetes.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Sandiford, S. & Upton, M. Identification, characterization, and recombinant expression of epidermicin NI01, a novel unmodified bacteriocin produced by Staphylococcus epidermidis that displays potent activity against staphylococci. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 56, 1539–1547 (2012).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  51. Netz, D. J. et al. Biochemical characterisation and genetic analysis of aureocin A53, a new, atypical bacteriocin from Staphylococcus aureus. J. Mol. Biol. 319, 745–756 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Lynch, D. et al. Identification and characterisation of capidermicin, a novel bacteriocin produced by Staphylococcus capitis. PLoS ONE 14, e0223541 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  53. Peschel, A. & Otto, M. Phenol-soluble modulins and staphylococcal infection. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 11, 667–673 (2013).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  54. Pandey, N., Malik, R. K., Kaushik, J. K. & Singroha, G. Gassericin A: a circular bacteriocin produced by lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus gasseri. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 29, 1977–1987 (2013).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Grande Burgos, M. J., Pulido, R. P., Del Carmen Lopez Aguayo, M., Galvez, A. & Lucas, R. The cyclic antibacterial peptide enterocin as-48: isolation, mode of action, and possible food applications. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 15, 22706–22727 (2014).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Xin, B. et al. In silico analysis highlights the diversity and novelty of circular bacteriocins in sequenced microbial genomes. mSystems 5, e00047-20 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  57. Angelopoulou, A. et al. Diverse bacteriocins produced by strains from the human milk microbiota. Front. Microbiol. 11, 788 (2020).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  58. Melby, J. O., Li, X. & Mitchell, D. A. Orchestration of enzymatic processing by thiazole/oxazole-modified microcin dehydrogenases. Biochemistry 53, 413–422 (2014).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Quereda, J. J. et al. Listeriolysin S is a streptolysin s-like virulence factor that targets exclusively prokaryotic cells in vivo. mBio 8, e00259-17 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  60. Molloy, E. M., Cotter, P. D., Hill, C., Mitchell, D. A. & Ross, R. P. Streptolysin S-like virulence factors: the continuing sagA. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 9, 670–681 (2011). This article reviews the current knowledge of the thiazole/oxazole-modified microcin class of RiPPs.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  61. Pons, A. M., Lanneluc, I., Cottenceau, G. & Sable, S. New developments in non-post translationally modified microcins. Biochimie 84, 531–537 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Grice, E. A. & Segre, J. A. The skin microbiome. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 9, 244–253 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  63. Ortega, M. A. et al. Structure and mechanism of the tRNA-dependent lantibiotic dehydratase NisB. Nature 517, 509–512 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Schneider, T. & Sahl, H. G. Lipid II and other bactoprenol-bound cell wall precursors as drug targets. Curr. Opin. Investig. Drugs 11, 157–164 (2010).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Brotz, H. et al. Role of lipid-bound peptidoglycan precursors in the formation of pores by nisin, epidermin and other lantibiotics. Mol. Microbiol. 30, 317–327 (1998). This study reveals the mode of action of nisin and other lanthipeptide RiPP bacteriocins.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Gotz, F., Perconti, S., Popella, P., Werner, R. & Schlag, M. Epidermin and gallidermin: staphylococcal lantibiotics. Int. J. Med. Microbiol. 304, 63–71 (2014).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Janek, D., Zipperer, A., Kulik, A., Krismer, B. & Peschel, A. High frequency and diversity of antimicrobial activities produced by nasal Staphylococcus strains against bacterial competitors. PLoS Pathog. 12, e1005812 (2016). This article reports the prevalence of bacteriocin production among nasal Staphylococcus isolates.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Ekkelenkamp, M. B. et al. Isolation and structural characterization of epilancin 15X, a novel lantibiotic from a clinical strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis. FEBS Lett. 579, 1917–1922 (2005).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  69. Rea, M. C. et al. Thuricin CD, a posttranslationally modified bacteriocin with a narrow spectrum of activity against Clostridium difficile. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 107, 9352–9357 (2010). This study describes a new sactipeptide RiPP bacteriocin that has activity against C. difficile.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  70. Chiumento, S. et al. Ruminococcin C, a promising antibiotic produced by a human gut symbiont. Sci. Adv. 5, eaaw9969 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  71. Walsh, C. J. et al. In silico identification of bacteriocin gene clusters in the gastrointestinal tract, based on the Human Microbiome Project’s reference genome database. BMC Microbiol. 15, 183 (2015).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Azevedo, A. C., Bento, C. B., Ruiz, J. C., Queiroz, M. V. & Mantovani, H. C. Distribution and genetic diversity of bacteriocin gene clusters in rumen microbial genomes. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 81, 7290–7304 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  73. Duarte, A. F. S. et al. Hyicin 4244, the first sactibiotic described in staphylococci, exhibits an anti-staphylococcal biofilm activity. Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents 51, 349–356 (2018).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  74. Donia, M. S. et al. A systematic analysis of biosynthetic gene clusters in the human microbiome reveals a common family of antibiotics. Cell 158, 1402–1414 (2014). This seminal study describes bacteriocin BGCs that are present in human metagenomes.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  75. Li, C. & Kelly, W. L. Recent advances in thiopeptide antibiotic biosynthesis. Nat. Prod. Rep. 27, 153–164 (2010).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. Sayanjali, B. et al. Propionibacterium acnes inhibits FOXM1 and induces cell cycle alterations in human primary prostate cells. Int. J. Med. Microbiol. 306, 517–528 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. Maksimov, M. O., Pan, S. J. & James Link, A. Lasso peptides: structure, function, biosynthesis, and engineering. Nat. Prod. Rep. 29, 996–1006 (2012).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  78. Yu, H. et al. Therapeutic administration of the recombinant antimicrobial peptide microcin J25 effectively enhances host defenses against gut inflammation and epithelial barrier injury induced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection. Faseb J. 34, 1018–1037 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. Imai, Y. et al. A new antibiotic selectively kills Gram-negative pathogens. Nature 576, 459–464 (2019). This article reports a new type of RiPP bacteriocin, daromycin, which has a new mode of action and specifically targets Gram-negative bacteria.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  80. Schilling, N. A. et al. Synthetic lugdunin analogues reveal essential structural motifs for antimicrobial action and proton translocation capability. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 58, 9234–9238 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  81. Zipperer, A. et al. Human commensals producing a novel antibiotic impair pathogen colonization. Nature 535, 511–516 (2016). This study reports the novel NRP bacteriocin lugdunin as a methicillin-resistant S. aureus-eradicating agent in the nasal microbiome.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  82. Piewngam, P. et al. Pathogen elimination by probiotic Bacillus via signalling interference. Nature 562, 532–537 (2018). This study reports that an NRP bacteriocin prevents S. aureus gut colonization by interfering with quorum sensing.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  83. Tang, X. et al. Cariogenic Streptococcus mutans produces tetramic acid strain-specific antibiotics that impair commensal colonization. ACS. Infect. Dis. 6, 563–571 (2020).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  84. Gänzle, M. G. & Vogel, R. F. Studies on the mode of action of reutericyclin. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 69, 1305–1307 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  85. Gaiser, R. A., Medema, M. H., Kleerebezem, M., van Baarlen, P. & Wells, J. M. Draft genome sequence of a porcine commensal, Rothia nasimurium, encoding a nonribosomal peptide synthetase predicted to produce the ionophore antibiotic valinomycin. Genome Announc 5, e00453-17 (2017).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  86. Chu, J. et al. Discovery of MRSA active antibiotics using primary sequence from the human microbiome. Nat. Chem. Biol. 12, 1004–1006 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  87. Sugimoto, Y. et al. A metagenomic strategy for harnessing the chemical repertoire of the human microbiome. Science 366, eaax9176 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  88. Acedo, J. Z., Chiorean, S., Vederas, J. C. & van Belkum, M. J. The expanding structural variety among bacteriocins from Gram-positive bacteria. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 42, 805–828 (2018).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  89. Braun, V. & Patzer, S. I. Intercellular communication by related bacterial protein toxins: colicins, contact-dependent inhibitors, and proteins exported by the type VI secretion system. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 345, 13–21 (2013).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  90. Willett, J. L., Gucinski, G. C., Fatherree, J. P., Low, D. A. & Hayes, C. S. Contact-dependent growth inhibition toxins exploit multiple independent cell-entry pathways. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 112, 11341–11346 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  91. Allsopp, L. P., Bernal, P., Nolan, L. M. & Filloux, A. Causalities of war: the connection between type VI secretion system and microbiota. Cell. Microbiol. 22, e13153 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  92. Ulhuq, F. R. et al. A membrane-depolarizing toxin substrate of the Staphylococcus aureus type VII secretion system mediates intraspecies competition. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 117, 20836–20847 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  93. Ghequire, M. G. & De Mot, R. Ribosomally encoded antibacterial proteins and peptides from Pseudomonas. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 38, 523–568 (2014).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  94. Roelofs, K. G., Coyne, M. J., Gentyala, R. R., Chatzidaki-Livanis, M. & Comstock, L. E. Bacteroidales secreted antimicrobial proteins target surface molecules necessary for gut colonization and mediate competition in vivo. mBio 7, e01055-16 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  95. Gonzalez-Delgado, L. S. et al. Two-site recognition of Staphylococcus aureus peptidoglycan by lysostaphin SH3b. Nat. Chem. Biol. 16, 24–30 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  96. Riley, M. A. & Gordon, D. M. The ecological role of bacteriocins in bacterial competition. Trends Microbiol. 7, 129–133 (1999).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  97. Zhao, W., Caro, F., Robins, W. & Mekalanos, J. J. Antagonism toward the intestinal microbiota and its effect on Vibrio cholerae virulence. Science 359, 210–213 (2018).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  98. Anderson, M. C., Vonaesch, P., Saffarian, A., Marteyn, B. S. & Sansonetti, P. J. Shigella sonnei encodes a functional T6SS used for interbacterial competition and niche occupancy. Cell Host Microbe 21, 769–776.e3 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  99. Chao, L. & Levin, B. R. Structured habitats and the evolution of anticompetitor toxins in bacteria. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 78, 6324–6328 (1981).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  100. Christenson, J. K. & Gordon, D. M. Evolution of colicin BM plasmids: the loss of the colicin B activity gene. Microbiology 155, 1645–1655 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  101. Aleti, G. et al. Identification of the bacterial biosynthetic gene clusters of the oral microbiome illuminates the unexplored social language of bacteria during health and disease. mBio 10, e00321-19 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  102. Wescombe, P. A. et al. Megaplasmids encode differing combinations of lantibiotics in Streptococcus salivarius. Antonie Van. Leeuwenhoek 90, 269–280 (2006).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  103. Wu, C. et al. Genomic island TnSmu2 of Streptococcus mutans harbors a nonribosomal peptide synthetase-polyketide synthase gene cluster responsible for the biosynthesis of pigments involved in oxygen and H2O2 tolerance. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 76, 5815–5826 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  104. Rauch, P. J. & De Vos, W. M. Characterization of the novel nisin-sucrose conjugative transposon Tn5276 and its insertion in Lactococcus lactis. J. Bacteriol. 174, 1280–1287 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  105. Smillie, C. S. et al. Ecology drives a global network of gene exchange connecting the human microbiome. Nature 480, 241–244 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  106. Moon, B. Y. et al. Phage-mediated horizontal transfer of a Staphylococcus aureus virulence-associated genomic island. Sci. Rep. 5, 9784 (2015).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  107. Thomas, J., Watve, S. S., Ratcliff, W. C. & Hammer, B. K. Horizontal gene transfer of functional type VI killing genes by natural transformation. mBio 8, e00654–17 (2017).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  108. Khayatt, B. I., van Noort, V. & Siezen, R. J. The genome of the plant-associated lactic acid bacterium Lactococcus lactis KF147 harbors a hybrid NRPS-PKS system conserved in strains of the dental cariogenic Streptococcus mutans. Curr. Microbiol. 77, 136–145 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  109. Kumar, R., Jangir, P. K., Das, J., Taneja, B. & Sharma, R. Genome analysis of Staphylococcus capitis TE8 reveals repertoire of antimicrobial peptides and adaptation strategies for growth on human skin. Sci. Rep. 7, 10447 (2017).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  110. Claesen, J. et al. A Cutibacterium acnes antibiotic modulates human skin microbiota composition in hair follicles. Sci. Transl. Med. 12, eaay5445 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  111. Maldonado-Barragan, A. & West, S. A. The cost and benefit of quorum sensing-controlled bacteriocin production in Lactobacillus plantarum. J. Evol. Biol. 33, 101–111 (2020). This study explores the fitness costs and benefits of bacteriocin production.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  112. Gonzalez, D. & Mavridou, D. A. I. Making the best of aggression: the many dimensions of bacterial toxin regulation. Trends Microbiol. 27, 897–905 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  113. Fornelos, N., Browning, D. F. & Butala, M. The use and abuse of LexA by mobile genetic elements. Trends Microbiol. 24, 391–401 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  114. Son, M. R. et al. Conserved mutations in the pneumococcal bacteriocin transporter gene, blpA, result in a complex population consisting of producers and cheaters. mBio 2, e00179-11 (2011).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  115. Ghoul, M. & Mitri, S. The ecology and evolution of microbial competition. Trends Microbiol. 24, 833–845 (2016). This review article discusses competitive behaviour in bacterial communities.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  116. Alden, L., Demoling, F. & Baath, E. Rapid method of determining factors limiting bacterial growth in soil. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 67, 1830–1838 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  117. Kehl-Fie, T. E. & Skaar, E. P. Nutritional immunity beyond iron: a role for manganese and zinc. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 14, 218–224 (2010).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  118. Kline, K. A., Falker, S., Dahlberg, S., Normark, S. & Henriques-Normark, B. Bacterial adhesins in host–microbe interactions. Cell Host Microbe 5, 580–592 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  119. Foster, T. J. The MSCRAMM family of cell-wall-anchored surface proteins of Gram-positive cocci. Trends Microbiol. 27, 927–941 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  120. Schade, J. & Weidenmaier, C. Cell wall glycopolymers of Firmicutes and their role as nonprotein adhesins. FEBS Lett. 590, 3758–3771 (2016).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  121. Johnson, K. V. A. Gut microbiome composition and diversity are related to human personality traits. Hum. Microbiome J. 15, 100069 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  122. Liu, C. M. et al. Staphylococcus aureus and the ecology of the nasal microbiome. Sci. Adv. 1, e1400216 (2015).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  123. Oh, J. et al. Biogeography and individuality shape function in the human skin metagenome. Nature 514, 59–64 (2014).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  124. Shanker, E. & Federle, M. J. Quorum sensing regulation of competence and bacteriocins in Streptococcus pneumoniae and mutans. Genes (Basel) 8, 15 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  125. Wholey, W. Y., Kochan, T. J., Storck, D. N. & Dawid, S. Coordinated bacteriocin expression and competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae contributes to genetic adaptation through neighbor predation. PLoS Pathog. 12, e1005413 (2016).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  126. Borgeaud, S., Metzger, L. C., Scrignari, T. & Blokesch, M. The type VI secretion system of Vibrio cholerae fosters horizontal gene transfer. Science 347, 63–67 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  127. Brugger, S. D. et al. Dolosigranulum pigrum cooperation and competition in human nasal microbiota. mSphere 5, e00852-20 (2020). This study reports antagonistic and mutualistic interactions among members of the nasal microbiome.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  128. Kramer, J., Ozkaya, O. & Kummerli, R. Bacterial siderophores in community and host interactions. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 18, 152–163 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  129. Ruaud, A. et al. Syntrophy via interspecies H2 transfer between Christensenella and Methanobrevibacter underlies their global cooccurrence in the human gut. mBio 11, e03235-19 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  130. O’Sullivan, J. N., Rea, M. C., O’Connor, P. M., Hill, C. & Ross, R. P. Human skin microbiota is a rich source of bacteriocin-producing staphylococci that kill human pathogens. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 95, fiy241 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  131. Turovskiy, Y., Ludescher, R. D., Aroutcheva, A. A., Faro, S. & Chikindas, M. L. Lactocin 160, a bacteriocin produced by vaginal Lactobacillus rhamnosus, targets cytoplasmic membranes of the vaginal pathogen, Gardnerella vaginalis. Probiotics Antimicrob. Proteins 1, 67–74 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  132. Corr, S. C. et al. Bacteriocin production as a mechanism for the antiinfective activity of Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 104, 7617–7621 (2007).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  133. Feldgarden, M. & Riley, M. A. High levels of colicin resistance in Escherichia coli. Evolution 52, 1270–1276 (1998).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  134. Piper, C., Draper, L. A., Cotter, P. D., Ross, R. P. & Hill, C. A comparison of the activities of lacticin 3147 and nisin against drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus species. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 64, 546–551 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  135. Robson, C. L., Wescombe, P. A., Klesse, N. A. & Tagg, J. R. Isolation and partial characterization of the Streptococcus mutans type AII lantibiotic mutacin K8. Microbiology 153, 1631–1641 (2007).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  136. Hoang, K. V. et al. Prevalence, development, and molecular mechanisms of bacteriocin resistance in Campylobacter. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 77, 2309–2316 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  137. Simoes, P. M. et al. Single-molecule sequencing (PacBio) of the Staphylococcus capitis NRCS-a clone reveals the basis of multidrug resistance and adaptation to the neonatal intensive care unit environment. Front. Microbiol. 7, 1991 (2016).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  138. Bierbaum, G. & Sahl, H. G. Lantibiotics: mode of action, biosynthesis and bioengineering. Curr. Pharm. Biotechnol. 10, 2–18 (2009).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  139. Cascales, E. et al. Colicin biology. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 71, 158–229 (2007).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  140. Ceotto, H. et al. Nukacin 3299, a lantibiotic produced by Staphylococcus simulans 3299 identical to nukacin ISK-1. Vet. Microbiol. 146, 124–131 (2010).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  141. Wilaipun, P., Zendo, T., Okuda, K., Nakayama, J. & Sonomoto, K. Identification of the nukacin KQU-131, a new type-A(II) lantibiotic produced by Staphylococcus hominis KQU-131 isolated from Thai fermented fish product (Pla-ra). Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 72, 2232–2235 (2008).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  142. Olsan, E. E. et al. Colonization resistance: the deconvolution of a complex trait. J. Biol. Chem. 292, 8577–8581 (2017). This study discusses different mechanisms of resistance to pathogen colonization.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  143. Tacconelli, E. et al. Surveillance for control of antimicrobial resistance. Lancet Infect. Dis. 18, e99–e106 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  144. Tacconelli, E., Autenrieth, I. B. & Peschel, A. Fighting the enemy within. Science 355, 689–690 (2017). This Perspective advocates the exclusion of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens from microbiomes for effective prevention of difficult to treat infections.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  145. Nakatsuji, T. et al. Antimicrobials from human skin commensal bacteria protect against Staphylococcus aureus and are deficient in atopic dermatitis. Sci. Transl. Med. 9, eaah4680 (2017). This article reports how bacteriocin-producing skin commensals prevent S. aureus-induced atopic dermatitis.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  146. Nakatsuji, T. et al. Development of a human skin commensal microbe for bacteriotherapy of atopic dermatitis and use in a phase 1 randomized clinical trial. Nat. Med. 27, 700–709 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  147. Kim, S., Covington, A. & Pamer, E. G. The intestinal microbiota: antibiotics, colonization resistance, and enteric pathogens. Immunol. Rev. 279, 90–105 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  148. Tran, H. Q., Ley, R. E., Gewirtz, A. T. & Chassaing, B. Flagellin-elicited adaptive immunity suppresses flagellated microbiota and vaccinates against chronic inflammatory diseases. Nat. Commun. 10, 5650 (2019).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  149. Wanke, I. et al. Skin commensals amplify the innate immune response to pathogens by activation of distinct signaling pathways. J. Invest. Dermatol. 131, 382–390 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  150. Vincent, J. L. et al. Prevalence and outcomes of infection among patients in intensive care units in 2017. JAMA 323, 1478–1487 (2020).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  151. Tacconelli, E. et al. ESCMID-EUCIC clinical guidelines on decolonization of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria carriers. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 25, 807–817 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  152. Geldart, K. G. et al. Engineered E. coli Nissle 1917 for the reduction of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in the intestinal tract. Bioeng. Transl. Med. 3, 197–208 (2018).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  153. Epstein, S. S. The phenomenon of microbial uncultivability. Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 16, 636–642 (2013). This article discusses the reasons for problems with cultivation of many microbiome-derived taxa.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  154. Brötz, H. & Sahl, H. G. New insights into the mechanism of action of lantibiotics — diverse biological effects by binding to the same molecular target. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 46, 1–6 (2000).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  155. Vassiliadis, G., Destoumieux-Garzón, D., Lombard, C., Rebuffat, S. & Peduzzi, J. Isolation and characterization of two members of the siderophore-microcin family, microcins M and H47. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 54, 288–297 (2010).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  156. M, O. C. et al. Nisin M: a bioengineered nisin a variant that retains full induction capacity but has significantly reduced antimicrobial activity. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 86, e00984-20 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  157. Hu, J. et al. A microbiota-derived bacteriocin targets the host to confer diarrhea resistance in early-weaned piglets. Cell Host Microbe 24, 817–832.e8 (2018).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  158. Dubinsky, V., Dotan, I. & Gophna, U. Carriage of colibactin-producing bacteria and colorectal cancer risk. Trends Microbiol. 28, 874–876 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  159. Selva, E. et al. Antibiotic GE2270 a: a novel inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis. I. Isolation and characterization. J. Antibiot. 44, 693–701 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  160. Mullane, K. et al. Multicenter, randomized clinical trial to compare the safety and efficacy of LFF571 and vancomycin for Clostridium difficile infections. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 59, 1435–1440 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  161. Fabbretti, A. et al. A derivative of the thiopeptide GE2270A highly selective against Propionibacterium acnes. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 59, 4560–4568 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  162. NAICONS. Early Development Programs http://naicons.com/early-development-programs/ (2020).

  163. Strohl, W. R. & Floss, H. G. Thiopeptides. Biotechnology 28, 223–238 (1995).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  164. O’Connor, P. M. et al. Nisin H is a new nisin variant produced by the gut-derived strain Streptococcus hyointestinalis DPC6484. Appl. Env. Microbiol. 81, 3953–3960 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  165. Hatziioanou, D. et al. Discovery of a novel lantibiotic nisin O from Blautia obeum A2-162, isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract. Microbiology 163, 1292–1305 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  166. Fernandez, L., Delgado, S., Herrero, H., Maldonado, A. & Rodriguez, J. M. The bacteriocin nisin, an effective agent for the treatment of staphylococcal mastitis during lactation. J. Hum. Lact. 24, 311–316 (2008).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  167. Grein, F. et al. Ca2+-Daptomycin targets cell wall biosynthesis by forming a tripartite complex with undecaprenyl-coupled intermediates and membrane lipids. Nat. Commun. 11, 1455 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  168. Jia, Z., O’Mara, M. L., Zuegg, J., Cooper, M. A. & Mark, A. E. The effect of environment on the recognition and binding of vancomycin to native and resistant forms of lipid II. Biophys. J. 101, 2684–2692 (2011).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  169. Miao, V. et al. Daptomycin biosynthesis in Streptomyces roseosporus: cloning and analysis of the gene cluster and revision of peptide stereochemistry. Microbiology 151, 1507–1523 (2005).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  170. Bearden, D. T., Allen, G. P. & Christensen, J. M. Comparative in vitro activities of topical wound care products against community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 62, 769–772 (2008).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  171. Essack, S., Bell, J., Burgoyne, D. S., Duerden, M. & Shephard, A. Topical (local) antibiotics for respiratory infections with sore throat: an antibiotic stewardship perspective. J. Clin. Pharm. Ther. 44, 829–837 (2019).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  172. Mathur, H. et al. Insights into the mode of action of the sactibiotic thuricin CD. Front. Microbiol. 8, 696 (2017).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  173. Li, Z. & Velkov, T. Polymyxins: mode of action. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 1145, 37–54 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank their co-workers and collaborators for helpful discussion. The authors’ work is financed by grants from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) TRR261 (project ID 398967434), GRK1708 and Cluster of Excellence EXC2124 Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection (CMFI) (project ID 390838134) to S.H., H.B.-O. and A.P., and TRR156 (project ID 246807620) to A.P; from the German Center of Infection Research (DZIF) to S.H., B.K., H.B.-O. and A.P.; from the German Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF) Culture Challenge to A.P.; and from the European Innovative Medicines Initiate IMI (COMBACTE) to A.P.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Infection Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Simon Heilbronner, Bernhard Krismer & Andreas Peschel

  2. Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124 Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Simon Heilbronner, Bernhard Krismer, Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt & Andreas Peschel

  3. Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Department of Microbial Bioactive Compounds, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt

Authors
  1. Simon Heilbronner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bernhard Krismer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andreas Peschel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

The authors contributed equally to all aspects of the article.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Simon Heilbronner or Andreas Peschel.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

Eberhard Karls University Tübingen holds a patent (EP3072899B1) covering the compound lugdunin, derivatives thereof and the bacterial infection prevention by lugdunin-producing bacteria. The patent has also been filed in the USA (US2018/0155397A1). The authors declare no other competing interests.

Additional information

Peer review information

Nature Reviews Microbiology thanks the anonymous reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Heilbronner, S., Krismer, B., Brötz-Oesterhelt, H. et al. The microbiome-shaping roles of bacteriocins. Nat Rev Microbiol 19, 726–739 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00569-w

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00569-w

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology