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  3. Advances in Molecular and Cellular Microbiology

Over the last decade, the rapid development of a vast array of techniques in the fields of cellular and molecular biology has transformed whole areas of research across the biological sciences. Microbiology has perhaps been influenced most of all. Our understanding of microbial diversity and evolutionary biology, and of how pathogenic bacteria and viruses interact with their animal and plant hosts at the molecular level, for example, have been revolutionised. Perhaps the most exciting recent advance in microbiology has been the development of the interface discipline of cellular microbiology, a fusion of classic microbiology, microbial molecular biology and eukaryotic cellular and molecular biology. Cellular microbiology is revealing how pathogenic bacteria interact with host cells in what is turning out to be a complex evolutionary battle of competing gene products. Molecular and cellular biology are no longer discrete subject areas but vital tools and an integrated part of current microbiological research. As part of this revolution in molecular biology, the genomes of a growing number of pathogenic and model bacteria have been fully sequenced, with immense implications for our future understanding of microorganisms at the molecular level.Advances in Molecular and Cellular Microbiology is a series edited by researchers active in this exciting and rapidly expanding field. Each volume focuses on a particular aspect of cellular or molecular microbiology, providing an overview of the area, as well as examining current research. This series will enable graduate students and researchers to keep up with the rapidly diversifying literature in current microbiological research.Cellular microbiology is an exciting new interface discipline, which bridges the gap between microbiology and cell biology. Advances in Molecular and Cellular Microbiology is a series edited by researchers active in this exciting and rapidly expanding field. Each volume focuses on a particular aspect of cellular and molecular microbiology, providing an overview of the area, as well as examining current research. This series will enable graduate students and researchers to keep up with the rapidly diversifying literature in current microbiological research.

  • General Editors: Brian Henderson, University College London, Michael Wilson, University College London, Anthony Coates, St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, Michael Curtis, St Bartholemew's and Royal London Hospital, London

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14 results in Advances in Molecular and Cellular Microbiology

Horizontal Gene Transfer in the Evolution of Pathogenesis
  • Edited by Michael Hensel, Herbert Schmidt
  • Published online:
    16 September 2009
    Print publication:
    30 June 2008
  • Horizontal gene transfer is a major driving force in the evolution of many bacterial pathogens. The development of high-throughput sequencing tools and more sophisticated genomic and proteomic techniques in recent years has resulted in a better understanding of this phenomenon. Written by leading experts in the field, this edited volume is aimed at graduate students and researchers and provides an overview of current knowledge relating to the evolution of microbial pathogenicity. This volume provides an overview of the mechanisms and biological consequences of the genome rearrangements resulting from horizontal gene transfer, in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, as well as overviews of the key mobile genetic elements involved. Subsequent chapters focus on paradigms for the evolution of important bacterial pathogens, including Salmonella enterica, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. The influence of socioeconomic parameters in the dissemination of transferable elements, such as antibiotic resistant genes in bacteria, is also discussed.

Bacteriophage Ecology
  • Population Growth, Evolution, and Impact of Bacterial Viruses
  • Edited by Stephen T. Abedon
  • Published online:
    29 September 2009
    Print publication:
    01 May 2008
  • Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and are believed to be the most abundant and genetically diverse organisms on Earth. As such, their ecology is vast both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Their abundance makes an understanding of phage ecology increasingly relevant to bacterial ecosystem ecology, bacterial genomics and bacterial pathology. Abedon provides the first text on phage ecology for almost 20 years. Written by leading experts, synthesizing the three key approaches to studying phage ecology, namely studying them in natural environments (in situ), experimentally in the lab, or theoretically using mathematical or computer models. With strong emphasis on microbial population biology and distilling cutting-edge research into basic principles, this book will complement other currently available volumes. It will therefore serve as an essential resource for graduate students and researchers, particularly those with an interest in phage ecology and evolutionary biology.

Dendritic Cell Interactions with Bacteria
  • Edited by Maria Rescigno
  • Published online:
    12 August 2009
    Print publication:
    19 April 2007
  • Emerging evidence suggests that dendritic cells play a major role in the orchestration of the immune response to bacteria. This volume introduces the reader to the complex world of dendritic cells and describes how the intimate interplay between dendritic cells, bacteria and the environment dictates either the induction of immunity or tolerance to the encountered microorganisms. It discusses how this can allow organisms to tolerate beneficial bacteria and to react against pathogens, as well as the strategies pathogenic bacteria have evolved to escape dendritic cell patrolling. Expert contributors discuss everything from bacterial capture and recognition to their killing, processing and the induction of adaptive immunity. Particular focus is on the tissue context in which bacteria are handled by dendritic cells and on possible defects therein, which may potentially lead to chronic infection or inflammation. Graduate students and researchers will find this an invaluable overview of current dendritic cell biology research.

Bacterial-Epithelial Cell Cross-Talk
  • Molecular Mechanisms in Pathogenesis
  • Edited by Beth A. McCormick
  • Published online:
    12 August 2009
    Print publication:
    07 September 2006
  • An emerging theme in molecular and cellular microbiology has been the ability of many pathogens to usurp the host cell and eventually colonize the host. This interaction between bacteria and host is not unidirectional - both pathogens and host cells engage in a signalling cross-talk. Research focused on this cross-talk and discussed in this volume, reveals not only novel aspects of bacterial pathogenesis, but also key information about epithelial biology with broader implications in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Written by leading researchers in this field, this book provides a valuable overview of the host-bacterial interactions that occur at mucosal surfaces including the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urogenital tracts. It will therefore be a valuable resource for graduate students and researchers working on these systems or in the fields of molecular and cellular microbiology or infectious disease medicine.

Phagocytosis of Bacteria and Bacterial Pathogenicity
  • Edited by Joel D. Ernst, Olle Stendahl
  • Published online:
    07 August 2009
    Print publication:
    07 September 2006
  • This book provides up-to-date information on the crucial interaction of pathogenic bacteria and professional phagocytes, the host cells whose purpose is to ingest, kill, and digest bacteria in defense against infection. The introductory chapters focus on the receptors used by professional phagocytes to recognize and phagocytose bacteria, and the signal transduction events that are essential for phagocytosis of bacteria. Subsequent chapters discuss specific bacterial pathogens and the strategies they use in confronting professional phagocytes. Examples include Helicobacter pylori, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Yersinae, each of which uses distinct mechanisms to avoid being phagocytosed and killed. Contrasting examples include Listeria monocytogenes and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which survive and replicate intracellularly, and actually cooperate with phagocytes to promote their entry into these cells. Together, the contributions in this book provide an outstanding review of current knowledge regarding the mechanisms of phagocytosis and how specific pathogenic bacteria avoid or exploit these mechanisms.

Bacterial Cell-to-Cell Communication
  • Role in Virulence and Pathogenesis
  • Edited by Donald R. Demuth, Richard Lamont
  • Published online:
    08 August 2009
    Print publication:
    23 February 2006
  • Many bacterial diseases are caused by organisms growing together as communities or biofilms. These microorganisms have the capacity to coordinately regulate specific sets of genes by sensing and communicating amongst themselves utilizing a variety of signals. This book examines the mechanisms of quorum sensing and cell-to-cell communication in bacteria and the roles that these processes play in regulating virulence, bacterial interactions with host tissues, and microbial development. Recent studies suggest that microbial cell-to-cell communication plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a variety of disease processes. Furthermore, some bacterial signal molecules may possess immunomodulatory activity. Thus, understanding the mechanisms and outcomes of bacterial cell-to-cell communication has important implications for appreciating host-pathogen interactions and ultimately may provide new targets for antimicrobial therapies that block or interfere with these communication networks.

Salmonella Infections
  • Clinical, Immunological and Molecular Aspects
  • Edited by Pietro Mastroeni
  • Duncan Maskell
  • Published online:
    04 December 2009
    Print publication:
    09 February 2006
  • Salmonella enterica encompasses a diverse range of bacteria that cause a spectrum of diseases in many hosts. Advancements in prevention and treatment of S. enterica infections have at times been hampered by compartmentalization of research efforts and lack of multidisciplinary approaches. This book attempts to cover a diverse range of topics related to the biology of S. enterica infections, including epidemiological and clinical aspects, molecular pathogenesis, immunity to disease and vaccines. S. enterica infections are important zoonoses and therefore material on infections of animals and public health issues have also been considered. Each chapter can be read independently, but the full contents of the book will provide the reader with up-to-date knowledge on all the key aspects of salmonellosis in humans and animals. It will therefore be of interest to graduate students and researchers, as well as to clinicians, whose research focuses on this important pathogen.

The Dynamic Bacterial Genome
  • Edited by Peter Mullany
  • Published online:
    06 August 2009
    Print publication:
    26 September 2005
  • This book provides an in-depth analysis of the mechanisms and biological consequences of genome rearrangements in bacteria. Genome rearrangements are a result of the actions of discrete genetic elements such as conjugative transposons, plasmids, phage, and non-conjugative transposons. Bacteria also contain systems to mediate genetic rearrangements such as the general recombination pathway and specialized endogenous recombination mechanisms. The biological effects of these rearrangements are far-reaching and impact on bacterial virulence, antibiotic resistance and the ability of bacteria to avoid the attentions of the host immune system (e.g. antigenic variation). These rearrangements also provide the raw material on which natural selection can act. Each chapter examines the mechanisms involved in genome rearrangements and the direct biological consequences of these events. This book is written by leading research workers and is an invaluable resource for graduate students and researchers in this field.

Bacterial Protein Toxins
  • Role in the Interference with Cell Growth Regulation
  • Edited by Alistair J. Lax
  • Published online:
    15 September 2009
    Print publication:
    10 January 2005
  • Bacterial toxins that act inside cells interact very specifically with key components of the cell and some even manipulate the cell in subtle ways for their own purposes. These potent toxins, described in this 2005 book, will be of interest to both microbiologists and cell biologists. Some of these toxins are conventional multidomain toxins that are self-programmed to enter cells. Others are delivered by type III mechanisms, often as a package of potent molecules. The molecular targets for all these toxins mediate signal transduction and the cell cycle to regulate the crucial processes of cell growth, cell division and differentiation. Thus these potent toxins are not only responsible for disease, but also provide a powerful set of tools with which to interrogate the biology of the cell. In addition such toxins may act directly to promote carcinogenesis and hence their study is also of interest in a wider context.

Bacterial Invasion of Host Cells
  • Edited by Richard J. Lamont
  • Published online:
    21 August 2009
    Print publication:
    29 March 2004
  • This book concerns the intimate association between bacteria and host cells. Many bacterial pathogens are able to invade and survive within cells at mucosal membranes. Remarkably, the bacteria themselves orchestrate this process through the exploitation of host cellular signal transduction pathways. Intracellular invasion can lead to disruption of host tissue integrity and perturbation of the immune system. An understanding of the molecular basis of bacterial invasion and of host cell adaptation to intracellular bacteria will provide fundamental insights into the pathophysiology of bacteria and the cell biology of the host. The book details specific examples of bacteria that are masters of manipulation of eukaryotic cell signaling and relates these events to the broader context of host-pathogen interaction. Written by experts in the field, this book will be of interest to researchers and graduate students in microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, as well as molecular medicine and dentistry.

Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases
  • The Importance of Host Genetics
  • Edited by Richard Bellamy
  • Published online:
    14 August 2009
    Print publication:
    22 December 2003
  • In the last fifteen years, substantial progress has been made in identifying why some people are particularly susceptible to specific infectious diseases. Extensive evidence has accumulated that host genes are important determinants of the outcome of infection for many common pathogens. This book summarises advances that have been made in understanding the complexity of host genetic susceptibility. The diseases covered include those of great public health importance such as malaria and HIV, and those of topical interest such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Many different techniques have been used to identify host genes involved in infectious disease susceptibility. Each chapter describes how these discoveries were made and the book is therefore useful to anyone planning genetic studies on a multi-factorial disease, regardless of whether it has an infectious etiology.

Dormancy and Low Growth States in Microbial Disease
  • Edited by Anthony R. M. Coates
  • Published online:
    18 August 2009
    Print publication:
    02 June 2003
  • All cellular life-forms can exist in replicating and non-replicating states. Organisms replicate only when the conditions are beneficial, and when not replicating they concentrate on survival of these environmental stresses. Many bacteria, harmful to humans, survive the period of infection in a low growth state. This 2003 book addresses the basic science of microbial dormancy and low growth states, putting this in the context of human medicine. Such fundamental topics as bacterial growth and non-growth, culturability and viability are covered, as well as survival of the host's immune response, and inter-bacterial signalling. Following this introduction, more medically focused topics are discussed, namely antibiotic resistance arising during stationary phase, biofilms, the bacteria which cause gastric ulcers and tuberculosis as the classic persistent bacterial infection. This book will interest graduate students and researchers in medical microbiology, immunology and infectious disease medicine who are interested in bacterial dormancy in relation to disease.

Bacterial Evasion of Host Immune Responses
  • Edited by Brian Henderson, Petra C. F. Oyston
  • Published online:
    13 August 2009
    Print publication:
    28 April 2003
  • Our survival as multicellular organisms requires the constant surveillance of our internal and external (mucosal) environments by the multifarious elements of the innate and acquired systems of immunity. The objective of this surveillance, expensive as it is to the organisms, is to recognise and kill invading microorganisms. Over the past fifty years the cells and mediators involved in our immune defences have been painstakingly identified. However, it is only relatively recently that the ability of microorganisms to evade immunity has been recognised and investigated. Bacterial Evasion of Host Immune Responses introduces the reader to the mechanisms used by bacteria to evade both humoral and cellular immune responses, using systems ranging in complexity from the simple quorum sensing molecules - acyl homoserine lactones - to the supramolecular syringe-like devices of type III secretion systems. This book will be of interest to researchers and graduate students in microbiology, immunology, pharmacology and molecular medicine.

Bacterial Adhesion to Host Tissues
  • Mechanisms and Consequences
  • Edited by Michael Wilson
  • Published online:
    08 October 2009
    Print publication:
    14 March 2002
  • This book is about the adhesion of bacteria to their human hosts. Although adhesion is essential for maintaining members of the normal microflora in/on their host, it is also the crucial first stage in any infectious disease. It is important, therefore, to fully understand the mechanisms underlying bacterial adhesion so that we may be able to develop methods of maintaining our normal (protective) microflora, and of preventing pathogenic bacteria from initiating an infectious process. These topics are increasingly important because of the growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and, consequently, the need to develop alternative approaches for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. This book describes the bacterial structures responsible for adhesion and the molecular mechanisms underlying the adhesion process. It also deals with the consequences of adhesion for both the adherent bacterium and the host cell/tissue to which it has adhered.