Cyclic dipeptides and the human microbiome : opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Research into the human microbiome has implicated its constituents in a variety of non-communicable diseases, with certain microbes found to promote health and others leading to dysbiosis and pathogenesis. Microbes communicate and coordinate their behaviour through the secretion of small molecules, such as cyclic dipeptides (CDPs) into their surrounding environment. CDPs are ubiquitous signalling molecules that exhibit a wide range of biological activities, with particular relevance to human health due to their potential to act as microbiome modulators.