Microbial endocrinology: how stress influences susceptibility to infection

A holistic approach to understanding the mechanisms by which stress influences the pathogenesis of infectious disease has resulted in the development of the field of microbial endocrinology. This transdisciplinary field represents the intersection of microbiology with mammalian endocrinology and neu...

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Published inTrends in microbiology (Regular ed.) Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 55 - 64
Main Authors Freestone, Primrose P.E, Sandrini, Sara M, Haigh, Richard D, Lyte, Mark
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2008
Subjects
Animals
Bacteria - chemistry
Bacteria - metabolism
Bacterial Infections - physiopathology
Catecholamines - chemistry
Catecholamines - metabolism
Disease Susceptibility
Endocrinology
Hormones - chemistry
Hormones - metabolism
Humans
Internal Medicine
Microbiology
Stress, Physiological
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Summary:A holistic approach to understanding the mechanisms by which stress influences the pathogenesis of infectious disease has resulted in the development of the field of microbial endocrinology. This transdisciplinary field represents the intersection of microbiology with mammalian endocrinology and neurophysiology, and is based on the tenet that microorganisms have evolved systems for using neurohormones, which are widely distributed throughout nature, as environmental cues to initiate growth and pathogenic processes. This review reveals that responsiveness to human stress hormones is widespread in the microbial world and documents recent advances in microbial endocrinology.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-3
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ObjectType-Review-1
ISSN:0966-842X
1878-4380
DOI:10.1016/j.tim.2007.11.005