title: Beyond host-pathogen interactions: microbial defense strategy in the host environment.
abstract: 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.
authors: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IBB), Centre for Biological and Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Tecnico, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors: Arsenio M
authors: AM
authors: Fialho
authors: Fred J
authors: FJ
authors: Stevens
authors: Tapas K
authors: TK
authors: Das Gupta
authors: Ananda M
authors: AM
authors: Chakrabarty
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents