An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective on Human-microbe Mutualism and Disease

Overview

Journal Nature

Specialty Science

Date 2007 Oct 19

PMID 17943117

Citations 669

Authors

Les Dethlefsen

Margaret McFall-Ngai

David A Relman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The microbial communities of humans are characteristic and complex mixtures of microorganisms that have co-evolved with their human hosts. The species that make up these communities vary between hosts as a result of restricted migration of microorganisms between hosts and strong ecological interactions within hosts, as well as host variability in terms of diet, genotype and colonization history. The shared evolutionary fate of humans and their symbiotic bacteria has selected for mutualistic interactions that are essential for human health, and ecological or genetic changes that uncouple this shared fate can result in disease. In this way, looking to ecological and evolutionary principles might provide new strategies for restoring and maintaining human health.

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