Fusobacterium nucleatum: a commensal-turned pathogen.

This article reviews its implication in adverse pregnancy outcomes (chorioamnionitis, preterm birth, stillbirth, neonatal sepsis, preeclampsia), GI disorders (colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, appendicitis), cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory tract infections, Lemierre's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. The virulence mechanisms involved in the diseases are discussed, with emphasis on its colonization, systemic dissemination, and induction of host inflammatory and tumorigenic responses. The FadA adhesin/invasin conserved in F. nucleatum is a key virulence factor and a potential diagnostic marker for F. nucleatum-associated diseases. PMID: 25576662 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Current Opinion in Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: Curr Opin Microbiol Source Type: research