Between Pathogenicity and Commensalism [electronic resource] / edited by Ulrich Dobrindt, Jörg H. Hacker, Catharina Svanborg.

Between Commensalism and Pathogenicity:Bacterial and Host Aspects -- E. coli as an all-rounder: The thin line between commensalism and pathogenicity.- What distinguishes non-pathogenic, from medium and highly pathogenic staphylococci? -- Microevolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to a chronic pathogen of the cystic fibrosis lung.- Lactobacillus: Host-Microbe Relationships -- Bacterial Moonlighting Proteins and Bacterial Virulence.- Symbionts and pathogens - what is the difference? -- Host-microbe Interaction in the Intestinal Tract -- Ecology and physiology of the intestinal tract -- The gut microflora and its variety of roles in health and disease -- Mammalian intestinal host-microbe relationships -- Contribution of the intestinal microbiota to human health - from birth to 100 years of age.- Subject index.

Microbes colonize nearly every biotic and abiotic niche on our planet. This also includes our human body, which is densely populated with microbes, the majority of which interact with us in a commensal, sometimes even mutualistic, relationship. Only a minority of our microbiota are pathogenic organisms with the ability to cause infection. This book covers various aspects of the interplay between commensal and pathogenic bacteria with their hosts. The chapters summarize recent findings on the geno- and phenotypic traits of opportunistic bacterial pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, staphylococci or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as the impact of commensal and probiotic bacteria on intestinal physiology and health. The differential interaction of pathogenic, commensal and probiotic bacteria with their host is reviewed from both the bacterial and the host’s perspective to round out this compilation of articles on the differences and similarities of pathogenic and commensal microorganisms.