Strategies of Bacterial Interaction with Eukaryotic Cells *Tobias
A. Oelschlaeger and Jorg Hacker 1. BENEFICIAL BACTERIAL-HOST
INTERACTIONS Already during birth and soon thereafter mammals are
colonized by bacte- ria belonging to the resident microbial flora.
Cutaneous and mucosal sur- faces and the gastrointestinal tract are
the areas which become colonized. These indigenous or autochthonous
bacteria have a variety of beneficial effects on their hosts. They
play a protective role by bacterial antagonism in fighting
infections (Hoszowski and Truszczynski, 1997; Hentges, 1979). Pro-
duction of vitamin K is another essential contribution of the
resident microbial flora to the health of the host (Hill, 1997).
Even more important, studies with germ-free animals demonstrated
the involvement of the microbial flora on the development of the
immune system. Such animals have underdeveloped and relatively
undifferentiated lymphoid tissues and low concentrations of serum
immune globulins ( Cebra et at., 1998). They TOBIAS A. OELSCHLAEGER
and JORG HACKER Institut filr Molekulare lnfektionsbiologie,
Universitiit Wiirzburg, 97070 Wiirzburg, Germany. *Corresponding
author; Phone: (0)931-312150; FAX: (0)931-312578; E-mail:
[email protected] xxix Tobias A. Oelschlaeger
and Jorg Hacker also show defects in specific immune responsiveness
and in nonspecific resistance induced by endotoxin, which may
account for their lowered resis- tance. A more typical example of
symbiotic interaction of bacteria with a host are bacteria like
Ruminococcus in the gut of ruminants, essential for degradation of
cellulose (Hobson, 1988). The closest benefical bacterial-host
interactions are those of intracellular symbiotic bacteria and
their host cells.
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