title: 'Blooming' in the gut: how dysbiosis might contribute to pathogen evolution.
abstract: Hundreds of bacterial species make up the mammalian intestinal microbiota. Following perturbations by antibiotics, diet, immune deficiency or infection, this ecosystem can shift to a state of dysbiosis. This can involve overgrowth (blooming) of otherwise under-represented or potentially harmful bacteria (for example, pathobionts). Here, we present evidence suggesting that dysbiosis fuels horizontal gene transfer between members of this ecosystem, facilitating the transfer of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes and thereby promoting pathogen evolution.
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Infection Research and the Max von Pettenkofer-Institut, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Pettenkoferstrasse 9, 80336 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Bärbel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stecher
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Wolf-Dietrich
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Hardt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004032:Diet; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D007109:Immunity; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D008322:Mammals; D054892:Metagenome / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D037521:Virulence Factors