Title: Archaea and Their Potential Role in Human Disease | Infection and Immunity
Headings: Archaea and Their Potential Role in Human Disease
Archaea and Their Potential Role in Human Disease
POTENTIAL PATHOGENICITY OF ARCHAEA
POTENTIAL ASSOCIATIONS OF ARCHAEA WITH HUMAN DISEASE
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE STUDIES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
REFERENCES
KEYWORDS

Content: Phyla or divisions of Eucarya and Bacteria in which known human pathogens exist are shown in red. Archaea branches denote families rather than phyla, except for the Korarchaeota. Note that pathogens exist within the Fusobacteria, Acanthamoebidae, Stramenophiles, and Mesomycetozoa; however, these divisions are not pictured. ( Modified from reference 44 with permission of the publisher.) Archaea differ from eukarya and bacteria in terms of genetic, biochemical, and structural features. For example, archaea possess unique flagellins and ether-linked lipids ( 59) and lack murein in their cell walls ( 24 ). Multiple archaeal genomes have been sequenced to completion, contributing to a better understanding of the unique cellular processes of archaea and their role in adaptation to extreme environments. Despite the information emerging about archaeal genomes, structure, and function, much remains unknown. Over half of archaeal genes encode unique proteins with unknown functions ( 18 ).