Beyond host-pathogen interactions: microbial defense strategy in the host environment.
Many extracellular pathogenic bacteria colonize human or animal bodies through evasion of the host immune system, a process called host-pathogen interaction. What happens when other intruders try to invade the same host and try to establish themselves in the same niche is largely unknown. In one well-studied case, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known to secrete the protein azurin as a weapon against such invaders as cancers, parasites and viruses. The production of such weapons by pathogenic bacteria could provide important insights into how a pathogen responds in the post-colonization state to impede other intruders for its own survival. Moreover, these molecules might find use in the pharmaceutical industry as next-generation therapeutics.
Fialho
Arsenio M
AM
Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IBB), Centre for Biological and Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Tecnico, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal.
Stevens
Fred J
FJ
Das Gupta
Tapas K
TK
Chakrabarty
Ananda M
AM
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents