title: Against the tide: the role of bacterial adhesion in host colonization.
abstract: Evolving under the constant exposure to an abundance of diverse microbial life, the human body has developed many ways of defining the boundaries between self and non-self. Many physical and immunological barriers to microbial invasion exist, and yet bacteria have found a multitude of ways to overcome these, initiate interactions with and colonize the human host. Adhesion to host cells and tissues is a key feature allowing bacteria to persist in an environment under constant flux and to initiate transient or permanent symbioses with the host. This review discusses reasons why adhesion is such a seemingly indispensable requirement for bacteria-host interactions, and whether bacteria can bypass the need to adhere and still persist. It further outlines open questions about the role of adhesion in bacterial colonization and persistence within the host.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K.
authors.forename: Daniel Henry
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Stones
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K.
authors.forename: Anne Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Krachler
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D064307:Microbiota / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000502:physiology; D013559:Symbiosis; D014774:Virulence
keywords: bacterial adhesion; cell adhesion; host–microbe interactions; microbiology