Intracellular Pathogens I

A current review of basic research on Chlamydiales biology and pathogenesis in one comprehensive volume. • Details the scientific knowledge about how these obligate intracellular bacteria invade, survive and replicate inside eukaryotic cells. • Describes the spectrum of disease caused by an infection including protective and pathologic immune responses. • Describes the latest developments, including genomics and biomathematical modeling, and progress towards genetic tools and a vaccine. • Serves as a significant research book for scientists, physicians, medical students, public health professionals, epidemiologists, biocomputational scientists and government policy makers.

The book describes the different and exciting pathways which havebeen developed by pathogenic microbes to manage living inside hostcells. It covers intracellular life styles of all relevantpathogenic but also symbiotic microorganisms with respect to thecell biology of the host-microbe interactions and the microbialadaptations for intracellular survival. It features intracellulartrafficking pathways and characteristics of intracellular niches ofindividual microbes. The book also asks questions on the benefitsfor the microbe with regard to physiological needs and nutritionalaspects such as auxotrophy, effects on genome sizes, andconsequences for disease and host response/immunity (and thebenefits for the host in the cases of symbionts). Additionally, the book includes those pathogens that are medicallyless important but represent distinct intracellular niches,trafficking behaviours and virulence traits. The individualchapters also point out future challenges of research for therespective organism.

The Janeway's Immunobiology CD-ROM, Immunobiology Interactive, is included with each book, and can be purchased separately. It contains animations and videos with voiceover narration, as well as the figures from the text for presentation purposes.

A current review of basic research on Rickettsiales biology and pathogenesis in one comprehensive volume. • Details the scientific knowledge about how these obligate intracellular bacteria invade, survive and replicate inside eukaryotic cells. • Describes the spectrum of disease caused by an infection and the role of vectors in transmission. • Discusses protective and pathologic immune responses and establishment of persistent infection. • Describes the latest developments including genomics and progress in vaccine development. • Serves as a significant research book for scientists, physicians, medical students, public health professionals, epidemiologists, biocomputational scientists and government policy makers.

Opportunistic, intracellular bacterial infections are at the forefront of research because of the challenges they present to immunocompromised patients. In this volume, the pathogenesis and immune reaction of these intracellular infections is featured, as are the most typical problems related to antimicrobial chemotherapy, and current approaches to their solution. Individual chapters set the pace for research on pathogenic and immune reactions to such infections as, mycobacterium tuberculosis, legionella pneumophila, chlamydia trachomatis and brucella.

This book provides information on the molecular interactions between host cell organelles and pathogens, which have developed strategies to survive within infected cells. Chapters are grouped into five sections: I. Endocytosis and phagocytosis. Collectively, the chapters of this section review basic knowledge regarding intracellular organelles are involved in membrane interactions with pathogen-containing vacuoles. II. Professional and non-professional phagocytes. Here the authors describe the major differences between the two host cell types, which can be infected by microorganisms. III. Maturation pathways of bacteria-containing vacuoles. Molecular interactions between vacuoles and intracellular organelles leading to the search of the Holy Grail, the replication niche, are described. IV. Host response. Host cells are able to react against intruders and eventually mount host responses. In these chapters the various types of host response mechanisms against intracellular intruders are reviewed. V. Co-evolution. In these final chapters, the question is addressed of whether knowledge of bacteria-host cell interactions will be acquired fast enough to find the necessary tools for controlling microorganism development.

This conference was held under the sponsorship of the Eastern Pennsylvania Branch of the American Society for Microbiology, as one in a continuing series of Basic Science Symposia. The untiring volunteer effects of the members of the Symposium Committee are deeply appreciated. The Bureau of Laboratories of the Pennsylvania Department of Health was a cosponsor and generously provided staff and secretarial services to handle the difficult task of registration. The Department of Microbiology and of Microbiology and Immunology at the five medical schools in Philadelphia -- Temple University School of Medicine, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University, Hahnemann University and the University of Pennsylvania -- were academic cosponsors, and the support of the Chairpersons and the faculties are gratefully acknowledged.