Bacterial–Host Interactions: Molecular Mechanisms Governing Mutualism and Pathogenicity
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 161
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Bacteria establish diverse relationships with their hosts, ranging from mutualistic to pathogenic, shaped by both genomic potential and environmental context. A fundamental question in host–microbe biology is what molecular mechanisms determine whether bacterial–host interactions promote cooperation or disease.
Pathogenicity has traditionally been linked to bacterial virulence effectors, most often proteins that directly interfere with host cellular processes. In contrast, mutualistic interactions are frequently associated with specialized metabolites that modulate host physiology, immunity, and development. However, these interaction modes are increasingly recognized as interconnected rather than mutually exclusive.
Environmental signals sensed by bacteria drive changes in gene regulation, leading to altered protein expression and downstream metabolic outputs. Within this framework, pathogenic mechanisms may act upstream of mutualistic outcomes, with regulatory and effector systems shaping metabolic landscapes that ultimately influence host compatibility. Conversely, metabolites associated with mutualism may also contribute to virulence regulation, blurring classical distinctions between these states.
This Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews that explore the molecular, genetic, and biochemical bases of bacterial–host interactions across the mutualism–pathogenicity continuum, including signaling pathways, regulatory networks, metabolic reprogramming, and host responses that define this dynamic balance.
Dr. Charles Viau
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- bacterial–host interactions
- bacteria
- host
- host–microbe
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