The mycobiota feeds into bacterial infections

Summary: This study investigated the functional relationships between gut bacteria and fungi during infectious colitis. The researchers found that fungi present in both the gut microbiota and diet can provide siderophores, small molecules that scavenge iron from the host, giving a competitive advantage to certain Salmonella strains. This study reveals the importance of inter-kingdom cross-feeding between fungi and Salmonella and sheds light on the additional function of the gut mycobiota during bacterial infection.