Bacteria need iron to grow, but often struggle to access it. Many release siderophores, molecules that capture iron from their surroundings. In their new review, Simon Maréchal and Rolf Kümmerli examine how these molecules also shape relationships between bacterial strains and species.
Depending on which siderophores bacteria produce and can take up, they may share resources, exploit their neighbours or compete by restricting access to iron. The authors explain how molecular properties and environmental conditions influence these interactions and how they can contribute to bacterial coexistence or exclusion.
The review highlights the need to extend research beyond a few well-studied bacterial groups to entire microbiomes, helping explain community assembly and interactions with plant, animal and human hosts.
Read the publication in Current Opinion in Microbiology