The microcolony mode of growth in vivo — an ecological perspective

摘要: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is essentially an aquatic micro-organism whose catholic metabolism allows it to colonize a large number of cold oligotrophic ecosystems. It was once considered be so reliably non-pathogenic that bandages were soaked in cultures this aerobic organism before they used dress deep wounds (D. W. Lambe, personal communication). Now P. constitutes serious threat the health patients compromised by burns, extensive manipulation, instrumentation, or underlying diseases such as cystic fibrosis. The microbiological approaches have virtually eradicated most acute epidemic bacterial not been notably successful prevention treatment infections caused ‘modern’ opportunistic pathogen. Avoidance contact with ubiquitous environmental difficult, and immunological measures are contraindicated widespread observation fibrosis high levels anti-Pseudomonas antibodies but fail clear their chronic infections. Antibiotic therapy particularly effective, especially infections, because bacteria often survive within protected niduses re-establish infection when discontinued. Because apparent group differs significantly from classic diseases, preventive therapeutic strategies developed microbiologists counteract largely failed prevent cure these aeruginosainfections, we adopted radically different approach, viz. microbial ecologist.