The Role of Bacterial Proteases From the Microbiome in Human Disease

Proteases degrade proteins and peptides, recycling materials and preventing unnecessary buildup within the cell. They can also be secreted and act in extracellular space. Bacterial proteases are often secreted and function as virulence factors. In the context of the microbiome, they can contribute to host–microbe interactions to facilitate colonization and disease pathogenesis. Thus, proteolytic activity is often found to be upregulated in patient cohorts. In this minireview, we describe how bacterial proteases in the microbiome can display various bioactivities such as disruption of barrier function, degradation of host defense compounds, modulating inflammatory responses, and allowing for microbial movement. We focus on the gut, skin, vaginal, and urinary microbiomes and describe how specific bacterial organisms have proteolytic activities that can exacerbate or lead to human diseases.