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Commensalism Versus Virulence

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Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms

Abstract

Recent genomic research tools enable a detailed genetic and physiological analysis of virulent bacteria and provide a deeper understanding of the genes which are involved in pathogenic processes. The results obtained from such experiments indicate that the distinction between commensals and virulent bacteria is complicated and cannot be performed on the basis of genomic data. Using Escherichia coli as a model system, we show that commensalism and virulence cannot be predicted on the basis of genomic data alone. Rather, virulence is determined by the location of the bacteria in the host, by the pattern of their gene expression and by the genetic make-up of the host with whom they interact.

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  1. Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Dvora Biran, Anat Parket & Eliora Z. Ron

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  1. Dvora Biran
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  2. Anat Parket
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  1. , Dept. of Molecular Microbiology and Biot, University of Tel Aviv, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Eugene Rosenberg

  2. , Dept. of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Tel Aviv, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Uri Gophna

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Biran, D., Parket, A., Ron, E.Z. (2012). Commensalism Versus Virulence. In: Rosenberg, E., Gophna, U. (eds) Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21680-0_19

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