The Bugs amongst Us

primary factors that dictate the tissue tropism of a mi-articles pulled from PubMed. Each chapter, to the au-crobe, and hence its capacity to cause disease, are its thors' credit, stands on its own and most provide some adhesive properties. Bacterial pathogens that can't stick genuinely fascinating information. The book also bene-to target cells and tissues are usually rapidly dispatched fits from a number of exceptional diagrams and micro-from the host. graphs. However, several hoped-for figures appear too Adhesion does not occur by any protocol that is stan-late, not at all, or with only the blurry quality of Sas-dardized among bacterial species or environmental situ-quatch-sighting photos. ations. Bacteria produce a number of products that can A great deal of ink is used describing the regulation mediate adherence, including proteins, lipopolysaccha-of adhesin-coding genes. Though this is certainly inter-rides, and lipoteichoic acid. Adhesive molecules (adhes-esting and valuable information to researchers in the ins) may be presented distally on hair-like fibers called field, more detail on the adhesins themselves would pili (aka fimbriae) or directly expressed on the bacterial have been useful. Particularly noticeable is a paucity of surface. Adhesins can interact with a wide range of host discussion on the wealth of detailed adhesin structural receptor proteins, glycoproteins, glycolipids, and other data that now exists. In the past eighteen months, for molecules on host cells, with extracellular matrix pro-example, high-resolution structures of the adhesins in-teins, or even with organic and inorganic films deposited ternalin A and B of Listeria monocytogenes (Schubert on teeth and medical implants. In order to bind, physical et al., have use of several structures to synergistically enhance ad-been reported. These and similar biophysical data pro-herence to a particular substrate, and may also encode vide detailed insight into how adhesion occurs at the within their genetic repertoire other sets of adhesins for molecular level, and a more extensive discussion re-binding alternate attachment surfaces. Adhesins can garding structure-function analyses would have been mediate interbacterial interactions as well, facilitating welcome. genetic exchange and biofilm formation. This volume does present a wealth of useful and at The attachment event can trigger dramatic responses times intriguing information. Its major problem is not in both bacterial and host cells that can directly impact content, but packaging. As it stands, one of the most the outcome of an infection. Bacterial attachment that useful features of the book is probably its index; it will results in the …