Epigenetic Mechanisms in Bacteria Bridge Physiology, Growth and Host-Pathogen Interactions Abstract: In bacteria, the epigenetic modifications of genomic and proteomic landscape intertwine gene expression and biological outcomes for responding to external and internal changes. The major epigenetic modifications regulating this DNA-templated processes in bacteria include methylation of DNA and acetylation, methylation, and phosphorylation of proteins. These changes orchestrate bacterial virulence, from cell growth to DNA repair, and interactions with eukaryotic hosts. Notably, mutations in enzymes inducing epigenetic pathways cause phenotypic alterations. Despite the availability of tools detecting epigenetic modifications, the mechanistic knowledge of these processes remains limited. Given that the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains is high, these epigenetic pathways could serve as a new therapeutic target. This article integrates molecular and structural bases of epigenetic functions, which would help design highly selective tools for understanding the biology of enzymes toward developing new disease treatments.