1M 10:00Am - L3: Terms For Principles Of Bacterial Pathogenesis

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adhesin

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structure on the surface of bacteria that is utilized to bind to cellular receptor of the host

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aerobe

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organism that can use oxygen to generate energy

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anaerobe

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organism that does not use oxygen to generate energy and cannot grow under an air atmosphere

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biofilm

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a thin layer of microorganisms that adheres to a surface; this is facilitated by the production of an extracellular matrix of polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA ("slime") by the bacteria; bacteria within biofilms are typically highly resistant to immune attack and treatment with antimicrobials

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colonization

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establishment of a site of microbial reproduction

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commensal

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bacteria that live with but are not helpful to the host

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endospore

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a thick-walled spore formed in the bacterial cell (mother cell)

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endotoxin

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heat-stable toxin, consisting of the lipid A portion of LPS, located in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, which may be liberated when bacteria disintegrate

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exotoxin

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toxic protein secreted by a microorganism into the surrounding medium

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facultative bacterium

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organism that grows well in the absence and presence of oxygen and may use oxygen for some energy-generating reactions

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fastidious bacterium

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organism with complex nutrient requirements and is difficult to grow in the lab

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fecal bacteriotherapy (fecal transplantation)

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the process of transferring fecal bacteria from a healthy individual to a recipient as a treatment for patients suffering from infection by Clostridium difficile, and for some other conditions such as colitis

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flora (microbiome)

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microorganisms present in a given environment

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infection

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pathologic condition due to growth of microorganisms within a host

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nosocomial infection

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infection acquired within a hospital

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operon

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a functional genetic unit, consisting of a promoter, operator, and structural genes

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opportunistic microorganism

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a microorganism (often part of the normal human flora) that does not cause disease in a healthy individual, but may become pathogenic in an immunocompromised host

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pathogenecity island

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a segment of the chromosome, present in some bacteria, that encodes several virulence factors; some bacteria have multiple pathogenecity islands

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prebiotics

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non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of bacteria in the digestive system in ways claimed to be beneficial to health

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probiotics

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live microorganisms that may confer a health benefit on the host

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quorum sensing

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the mechanism by which bacteria monitor their own population density by sensing the presence of autoinducers, which activate a set of quorum-dependent genes

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response regulator

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in bacterial signal transduction, a response regulator receives the signal from the sensor kinase (either directly or with the help of other kinases) and is responsible for inducing a response to the original signal (ie: new gene transcription or control protein activity)

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sensor

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in bacterial signal transduction, a sensor serves as a transmitter kinase that phosphorylates itself, and transmits the signal to a response regulator or receiver; the sensor kinase is often a receptor in the cytoplasmic membrane or is associated with such a receptor

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siderophore

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iron-chelating compound secreted by microorganisms (bacteria and fungi)

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tropism

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in microbial pathogenesis, tropism refers to the predilection of a pathogen to target a particular host, organ system, organ, tissue, or cell type

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two-component phosphorelay system

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a signal transduction regulatory system that uses the transfer of phosphoryl groups to control gene transcription and/or protein activity; it contains two major components: a sensor kinase and a response regulator

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virulence

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pathogenetic potential or degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism

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virulence factor

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microbial product that contributes to virulence or pathogenicity