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'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.

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Figure 1: Mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer and enteric pathogen evolution.
Figure 2: Perturbation-induced destabilization and stabilization of intestinal ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

Work in the W.D.H. laboratory is supported by the Swiss National Science foundation (SNF). Work in the B.S. laboratory is supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

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Stecher, B., Maier, L. & Hardt, WD. 'Blooming' in the gut: how dysbiosis might contribute to pathogen evolution. Nat Rev Microbiol 11, 277–284 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2989

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