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Frontal and stealth attack strategies in microbial pathogenesis

Nature volume 430, pages 250–256 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Interactions between microbes and human hosts can range from a benign, even symbiotic collaboration to a competition that may turn fatal — resulting in death of the host, the microbe or both. Despite advances that have been made over the past decades in understanding microbial pathogens, more people worldwide still die every year from infectious disease than from any other cause. This highlights the relevance of continuing to probe the mechanisms used by microorganisms to cause disease, and emphasizes the need for new model systems to advance our understanding of host–pathogen interactions.

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Figure 1: Mechanisms used by Helicobacter pylori to establish persistent infection.
Figure 2: Proposed strategies by which Bartonella establishes persistent infection.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank J. Koehler, L. Thompson, A. Mueller and A. Camilli for comments on the manuscript. Research in the laboratories of D.S.M. and S.F. are supported by funds from the Damon Runyon Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

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  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, 20814, Maryland, USA

    D. Scott Merrell

  2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, 299 Campus Drive, Fairchild D051, Stanford, 94305, California, USA

    Stanley Falkow

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Merrell, D., Falkow, S. Frontal and stealth attack strategies in microbial pathogenesis. Nature 430, 250–256 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02760

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