Co-opting oxylipin signals in microbial disease

Abstract

Oxylipins, or oxygenated lipids, are universal signalling molecules across all kingdoms of life. These molecules, either produced by microbial pathogens or their mammalian host, regulate inflammation during microbial infection. In this review, we summarise current literature on the biosynthesis pathways of microbial oxylipins and their biological activity towards mammalian cells. Collectively, these studies have illustrated how microbial pathogens can modulate immune rsponse and disease outcome via oxylipin-mediated mechanisms.