Document Detail


From structure to function: the ecology of host-associated microbial communities.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20805407     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
In the past several years, we have witnessed an increased interest in understanding the structure and function of the indigenous microbiota that inhabits the human body. It is hoped that this will yield novel insight into the role of these complex microbial communities in human health and disease. What is less appreciated is that this recent activity owes a great deal to the pioneering efforts of microbial ecologists who have been studying communities in non-host-associated environments. Interactions between environmental microbiologists and human microbiota researchers have already contributed to advances in our understanding of the human microbiome. We review the work that has led to these recent advances and illustrate some of the possible future directions for continued collaboration between these groups of researchers. We discuss how the application of ecological theory to the human-associated microbiota can lead us past descriptions of community structure and toward an understanding of the functions of the human microbiota. Such an approach may lead to a shift in the prevention and treatment of human diseases that involves conservation or restoration of the normal community structure and function of the host-associated microbiota.
Authors:
Courtney J Robinson; Brendan J M Bohannan; Vincent B Young
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Microbiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR     Volume:  74     ISSN:  1098-5557     ISO Abbreviation:  Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev.     Publication Date:  2010 Sep 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-08-31     Completed Date:  2010-12-23     Revised Date:  2011-09-13    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9706653     Medline TA:  Microbiol Mol Biol Rev     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  453-76     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Michigan, 4618D Medical Sciences II, 1150 W. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5623, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Bacterial Infections / metabolism
Host-Pathogen Interactions
Humans
Metagenome / physiology*
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R01 DK070875-01A2/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS; R01 DK070875-03S1/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS; R01 DK070875-04S1/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS; R01 DK070875-06/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS; R01DK070875/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS; R01DK070875-03S1/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS
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