Moxon E Richard, Jansen Vincent A A
Molecular Infectious Diseases Group, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine and University of Oxford Department of Paediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
Trends Microbiol. 2005 Dec;13(12):563-5. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2005.10.004. Epub 2005 Oct 28.
Understanding why carriers of meningococci occasionally develop invasive disease is a major challenge. Individual strains of meningococci are extremely variable and undergo dynamic changes in DNA content and organization. This heterogeneity of meningococcal populations might enhance the fitness of this human-restricted bacterium. The recent discovery of a meningococcal bacteriophage and its associations to disease is an intriguing example of this variability and could contribute to a better understanding of microbial commensal and virulence behaviour.
了解脑膜炎球菌携带者为何偶尔会发展为侵袭性疾病是一项重大挑战。脑膜炎球菌的各个菌株极具变异性，其DNA含量和结构会发生动态变化。脑膜炎球菌群体的这种异质性可能会增强这种人类限制性细菌的适应性。最近发现的一种脑膜炎球菌噬菌体及其与疾病的关联就是这种变异性的一个有趣例子，可能有助于更好地理解微生物的共生和致病行为。
