Chemical proteomics of host-microbe interactions.

The dynamic proteome plays numerous roles in the interactions of microbes - whether they are invading pathogens or symbiotic organisms - and their hosts. Host and microbe sense, respond and manipulate each other's biology via a multitude of mechanisms, resulting in alterations in protein expression or post-translational modification that influence protein localisation, activity or binding partners. The intrinsic, temporal and spatial complexity of multi-species systems makes identifying the molecular players challenging. Chemical proteomic approaches apply small molecule chemical tools to interrogate protein function, interactions or modifications. Here I highlight recent advances in the application of these methods at the host-microbe interface.