REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbial Physiology and Metabolism
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1693700
Stereospecific lactylation in bacteriology: L/D-Lactate partitioning shapes host metabolic-disease axis
Provisionally accepted
Sirui Wang
Leiliang Zhang*- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
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Two stereoisomers of lactate, L- and D-lactate, serve as critical conduits for bidirectional communication in host-bacteria interactions and the development of diseases. Lactylation, a novel post-translational modification (PTM), has been linked to the regulation of gene expression, immune responses, and pathogen virulence. This review examines the metabolic pathways of L- and D-lactate, their associated lactylation modifications (KL-la, KD-la, and Kce), and the regulatory mechanisms underlying these processes. We highlight the distinct roles of L- and D-lactate in bacterial metabolism and the implications of lactylation in bacterial infections, exploring their multifaceted impacts on diseases such as infections, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. This review presents novel strategies for targeting stereospecific lactate metabolism and lactylation, and it summarizes key methods for detecting both lactate isomers. Additionally, it provides insights into their clinical applications and outlines future research directions within the context of bacterial-related diseases.
Keywords: Stereoisomer, D-lactate, L-lactate, lactylation, Bacteria
Received: 27 Aug 2025; Accepted: 06 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Leiliang Zhang, armzhang@hotmail.com
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