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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
08:33
Kinetic Visualization of Single-Cell Interspecies Bacterial Interactions
Published on: August 5, 2020
Recurring principles of metabolic interactions in Enterococcus faecalis polymicrobial communities
Caleb M Anderson1, Kimberly A Kline1
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Current Opinion in Microbiology
|July 17, 2026
Summary
Enterococcus faecalis interactions in polymicrobial infections are key to understanding disease. This review explores microbial and host mechanisms driving these complex interactions across diverse infection sites.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Biofilms
Background:
- Enterococcus faecalis is a common gut bacterium and opportunistic pathogen.
- It frequently forms biofilms in polymicrobial infections at various body sites.
- Understanding its interactions within these communities is crucial but incomplete.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review mechanistic studies of Enterococcus faecalis polymicrobial biology.
- To identify recurring interaction types and molecular mechanisms.
- To explore host-involved dynamics in E. faecalis infections.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of mechanistic studies on E. faecalis polymicrobial interactions.
- Organization of findings around recurring interaction types (microbial and host-coupled).
- Emphasis on studies using defined, host-relevant synthetic communities.
Main Results:
- Identified microbial mechanisms: metabolic cross-feeding (lactate, heme), nutrient exchange (ornithine/arginine), quorum sensing, and Fsr system signaling.
- Highlighted cross-kingdom interactions with Candida albicans.
- Described host-参与 dynamics: nutritional immunity, tissue injury, and immune modulation.
Conclusions:
- Recurring molecular motifs drive E. faecalis polymicrobial interactions across different infection sites.
- Host factors significantly shape polymicrobial community dynamics.
- Further research using synthetic communities is needed to fully elucidate clinical co-occurrence determinants.
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