Colonization, localization, and inflammation: the roles of H. pylori chemotaxis in vivo.

Colonization, localization, and inflammation: the roles of H. pylori chemotaxis in vivo. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2017 Dec 01;41:51-57 Authors: Johnson KS, Ottemann KM Abstract Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium that infects half of the world's population, causing gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. To establish chronic stomach infection, H. pylori utilizes chemotaxis, driven by a conserved signal transduction system. Chemotaxis allows H. pylori to sense an array of environmental and bacterial signals within the stomach, guiding its motility towards its preferred niche within the gastric mucosa and glands. Fine-tuned localization, regulated by the chemotaxis system, enables robust colonization during the acute stage of infection. During chronic infection, chemotaxis helps maintain bacterial populations and modulates the host immune response. Given its importance in host colonization and disease, chemotaxis is an attractive target for future treatments against H. pylori infections. PMID: 29202336 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Current Opinion in Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: Curr Opin Microbiol Source Type: research