UC Berkeley

Small molecule natural products are a chemically diverse class of biomolecules that fulfill myriad biological functions, including autoregulation, communication with microbial neighbors and the host, interference competition, nutrient acquisition, and resistance to oxidative stress. Human commensal bacteria are increasingly recognized as a potential source of new natural products, which may provide insight into the molecular ecology of many different human body sites as well as novel scaffolds for therapeutic development. Here, we review the scientific literature on natural products derived from residents of the human nasal/oral cavity, discuss their discovery, biosynthesis, and ecological roles, and identify key questions in the study of these compounds.