From Biogenesis to Host Modulation: The Expanding Biology of Oral Streptococcal Membrane Vesicles.

Oral streptococci produce membrane vesicles that facilitate host interactions and are common among Gram-positive bacteria, challenging previous assumptions about their capabilities.

• Why it matters: Understanding bEVs is crucial because they play key roles in microbial communication, ecology, and influencing host immune responses, which are vital for oral and systemic health.
• What they did: The review synthesizes recent advances in imaging, biochemical isolation, and multi-omics profiling of streptococcal bEVs, highlighting their biogenesis, cargo, and functions in health and disease.
• The result: These findings reveal bEVs' involvement in gene transfer, antimicrobial delivery, virulence, and immune modulation, offering potential for new therapeutic strategies to improve oral and overall health.