Decoding Microbial Secretion Systems: Mechanisms and Biotechnological Potential

Microbial secretion systems are at the core of bacterial physiology, facilitating processes such as protein export, inter-microbial competition, host–pathogen communication, and adaptation to environmental stressors. Despite major discoveries concerning canonical systems like Type III and Type V secretion, the full spectrum of secretion machinery across microbial lineages, including specialized systems in high-GC content organisms, remains only partially elucidated. Current research continues to probe how secretion systems are regulated, how their molecular components interact, and how their activities reshape microbial communities and ecophysiological behaviors. A more integrated understanding of these systems is essential to advance both basic microbiology and applied biotechnology.This Research Topic aims to bring together interdisciplinary studies that decode the mechanistic, structural, and functional bases of microbial secretion, while also exploring their technological potential. It seeks to address critical questions on how secretion systems evolve, coordinate intracellular trafficking, and enable cross-kingdom interactions. Moreover, it emphasizes the translation of mechanistic discoveries into biotechnological innovations through synthetic biology, promoter engineering, and genetic optimization. By encouraging discussion across molecular microbiology, structural biology, and metabolic engineering, the topic strives to integrate both fundamental science and practical applications.To gather further insights into microbial secretion systems and their regulatory and functional landscapes, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:-Molecular architecture, evolution, and regulation of secretion systems-Structural and live-cell visualization of secretion dynamics-Functional interplay between secretion systems and microbial metabolism-Systems and synthetic biology approaches for secretion optimization-Engineering of secretion pathways for heterologous protein production-Secretion-mediated microbial interactions and environmental adaptation-Biotechnological utilization for natural product discovery and therapeuticsOriginal research, reviews, and perspectives are invited to showcase how understanding microbial secretion can foster innovative and sustainable biotechnological development. Topic editors: Friedrich Götz, Maksym Bobrovskyy, Jai K Kaushik Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82973/decoding-microbial-secretion-systems-mechanisms-and-biotechnological-potential