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Natural Products from the Oral Microbiome
McKenna Loop Yao1, Yitao Dai1, Wenjun Zhang1
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
Annual Review of Biochemistry
|March 20, 2026
Summary
The oral microbiome produces natural products via complex enzymes, influencing health and disease. Understanding these microbial metabolites is key to developing new strategies for oral health.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Genomics
Background:
- The human oral microbiome is a complex ecosystem where microbial interactions influence host health.
- Oral microbes possess significant biosynthetic potential, producing natural products encoded by biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs).
- These natural products are increasingly recognized as critical mediators of microbial interactions and are linked to oral health and disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review natural products from the oral microbiome derived from nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) and polyketide synthases (PKS).
- To discuss the biosynthetic origins, bioactivities, and regulation of these specialized metabolites in oral bacteria.
- To highlight the importance of continued research in natural product discovery for oral health.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on oral microbiome natural products.
- Analysis of metagenomic data to identify biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs).
- Focus on NRPS and PKS pathways and their encoded metabolites.
Main Results:
- NRPS and PKS pathways are significant sources of specialized metabolites in the oral microbiome.
- These metabolites play crucial roles in interspecies competition, cooperation, and host interactions.
- Numerous oral BGCs are associated with both health and disease states.
Conclusions:
- Natural products from oral bacteria, particularly those from NRPS and PKS, are ecologically relevant and impact host health.
- Elucidating the biochemical drivers of oral diseases requires further investigation into microbial metabolites.
- Investment in genomics, omics, and natural product discovery is vital for advancing oral health strategies.
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