title: Meningitis in adolescents: the role of commensal microbiota.
abstract: The pathogen Neisseria meningitidis causes disease amongst infants and adolescents/young adults. Here we argue that disease amongst adolescents is due largely to interaction between N. meningitidis and other members of the upper respiratory tract microbiota, through a metabolic interaction involving exchange of propionic acid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK. Electronic address: james.moir@york.ac.uk.
authors.forename: James W B
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Moir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000382:microbiology*; D064307:Microbiota / Q000502:physiology*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017861:Porphyromonas / Q000378:metabolism; D011422:Propionates / Q000378:metabolism; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D011422:Propionates; C029658:propionic acid
keywords: Neisseria meningitidis; anaerobes; propionic acid; symbiosis