Microbes Dress for Success: Tolerance or Resistance? From: Trends In Microbiology, published January 2017
Article Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966842X1630169X
Summary: “Tolerance,” in terms of host-invader relationship, has long been thought to be attributed to the immune system within the organism. Although the immune system plays the majority role, recent theories have come to include that some members of the intestinal microbiota have developed mechanisms to encourage tolerance defenses and resistance in their hosts. Recent studies have shown some interesting results on this topic, with results in agreement with the theory. One example of this can be seen in a study done on the microbiota of mice; one microorganism was found to promote tolerance to numerous infections by mediating communications between bodily systems.
Connections: Different microbes serve different purposes and have specific “designs” that play a crucial role in their environment. Possible modifications which allow for a symbiotic relationship between both host and intestinal microbe can help us to better understand the interactions between host, microbe, and invading microbes.
Critical Analysis: This article contained multiple examples of the topic while also providing a good connection between them and the point to be proved. The article was written in a style that was easy to read (for a college student) and was relatively easy for someone not in the field of biology (besides general terminology) and was an interesting read. I found the idea of a more diverse host-microbe relationship quite interesting.
Question: What other microbial interactions and symbiotic relationships exist within the intestinal microbiota?
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