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Animals in a bacterial world, a new imperative for the life sciences

2013; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 110; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1073/pnas.1218525110

1091-6490

Margaret McFall‐Ngai, Michael G.‏ Hadfield, Thomas C. G. Bosch, Hannah V. Carey, Tomislav Domazet‐Lošo, Angela E. Douglas, Nicole Dubilier, Gérard Eberl, Tadashi Fukami, Scott F. Gilbert, Ute Hentschel, Nicole King, Staffan Kjelleberg, Andrew H. Knoll, Natacha Kremer, Sarkis K. Mazmanian, Jessica L. Metcalf, Kenneth H. Nealson, Naomi E. Pierce, John F. Rawls, Ann Reid, Edward G. Ruby, Mary E. Rumpho, Jon G. Sanders, Diethard Tautz, Jennifer J. Wernegreen,

Gut microbiota and health

In the last two decades, the widespread application of genetic and genomic approaches has revealed a bacterial world astonishing in its ubiquity and diversity. This review examines how a growing knowledge of the vast range of animal–bacterial interactions, whether in shared ecosystems or intimate symbioses, is fundamentally altering our understanding of animal biology. Specifically, we highlight recent technological and intellectual advances that have changed our thinking about five questions: how have bacteria facilitated the origin and evolution of animals; how do animals and bacteria affect each other’s genomes; how does normal animal development depend on bacterial partners; how is homeostasis maintained between animals and their symbionts; and how can ecological approaches deepen our understanding of the multiple levels of animal–bacterial interaction. As answers to these fundamental questions emerge, all biologists will be challenged to broaden their appreciation of these interactions and to include investigations of the relationships between and among bacteria and their animal partners as we seek a better understanding of the natural world.