Title: Pathogenic archaea: do they exist?
Headings: Pathogenic archaea: do they exist?
Pathogenic archaea: do they exist?
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Abstract
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Content: Because no archaeal pathogens have yet been identified, there is a general assumption that archaeal pathogens do not exist. This review examines whether this is a good assumption by investigating the potential for archaea to be or become pathogens. This is achieved by addressing: the diversity of archaea versus known pathogens, opportunities for archaea to demonstrate pathogenicity and be detected as pathogens, reports linking archaea with disease, and immune responses to archaea. In addition, molecular and genomic data are examined for the presence of systems utilised in pathogenesis. The view of this report is that, although archaea can presently be described as non-pathogenic, they have the potential to be (discovered as) pathogens. The present optimistic view that there are no archaeal pathogens is tainted by a severe lack of relevant knowledge, which may have important consequences in the future. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MeSH terms
Animals
Archaea / classification
Archaea / physiology*
Humans
Phylogeny
Toxins, Biological
Virulence
Substances
Toxins, Biological