title: [The role of associative symbiosis in infectious pathology].
abstract: Symbiosis as a biological basis of infectious process is considered with reference to the change of paradigm in symbiology and the new notion of associative symbiosis. The main structural and functional elements of associative symbiosis are reviewed and their analogy with vectors of the infectious process established. Special attention is given to associative symbionts (pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms), their universal interaction with the host and predominant normal flora. Interaction between symbionts is shown to be underlain by variation of persisting potential of both the infectious agent and commensal microorganisms. Data on the role of intercellular interactions between symbionts at the level of pro-prokaryotes and pro-eukaryotes during infection are presented that unveil pathogenetic basis of the infectious process.
authors.forename: O V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Bukharin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D005658:Fungi / Q000502:physiology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D013559:Symbiosis