Over the past two decades, microbially derived products have gained a greater visibility for their role in regulating metabolism via nuclear and membrane receptors. Therefore, it is not sufficient to limit analyses of the microbiome as a whole in inducing disease. Folate is a general term used to describe several individual folate molecules that have differential effects on host signaling. Importantly, gut bacteria synthesize their own unique folates, and have the ability to modify dietary folate, together accounting for about half of the body’s folate reservoir. Further, inhibition of bacterial folate synthesis leads to reduced gut inflammation. Therefore, bacterial folates can induce inflammation and host signaling pathways, directly contributing to disease. Ref: Developmental Cell 2016