Dysbiosis metabolites hijack a quorum-sensing receptor in beneficial streptococci

Microbial dysbiosis alters chemical cues in the oral microbiome, but how commensals sense these changes is unclear. Guillaume Cerckel, Pascal Hols and co-workers find that Streptococcus salivarius detects dysbiosis metabolites and repurposes a peptide quorum-sensing receptor to drive sustained antibacterial predation, revealing a new form of interspecies chemical communication.

Cerckel G, Dereinne D, Ledesma-García L, Meuric V, Desguin B, Mignolet J, Soumillion P, and Hols P (2026) Non-peptide dysbiosis metabolites reprogram a peptide quorum-sensing receptor to induce sustained predation in beneficial streptococci. PLoS Biol 24(3): e3003718. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003718