Research progress in bacterial galactose metabolic pathway and its impacts on bacterial virulence

Abstract:

Galactose is a ubiquitous monosaccharide in nature, serving not only as a primary carbon source for bioenergy metabolism but also as a precursor for various biological synthesis reactions. In eukaryotic cells, galactose or its derivatives can act as signaling molecules to participate in intercellular communication. Recent studies have revealed that galactose can modulate bacterial virulence by regulating intracellular signal transduction. Accordingly, galactose is considered an underappreciated environmental regulator in bacterial infection. However, the specific regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. This review integrates the latest research findings to summarize the bacterial galactose metabolic pathway, the biological implications of galactose metabolism in bacterial virulence and interactions with hosts, and the key proteins (enzymes) in the galactose metabolism pathway as potential targets for developing novel vaccines. It offers new insights and reference for comprehending bacterial infection mechanisms and exploring innovative antibacterial strategies.