Bang Corinna, Schmitz Ruth A
Institute for General Microbiology, University of Kiel (CAU), Kiel, Germany.
Emerg Top Life Sci. 2018 Dec 14;2(4):459-468. doi: 10.1042/ETLS20180035.
Archaea, the third domain of life containing unique membrane composition and highly diverse cell wall structures, were only recognized 40 years ago. Initially identified in extreme environments, they are currently recognized as organisms ubiquitously present in most, if not all, microbiomes associated with eukaryotic hosts. However, they have been mostly overseen in microbiome studies due to the lack of standardized detection protocols and to the fact that no archaeal pathogen is currently known. Recent years clearly showed that (i) archaea are part of the microbiomes associated with plants, animals and humans, (ii) form biofilms and (iii) interact and activate the human immune system. Future studies will not only define the host-associated diversity of archaea (referred to as 'archaeome') but also contribute to our understanding of the comprehensive metabolic interplay between archaea and bacteria and the long-term gain insights into their role in human health and their potential role(s) during disease development.
古菌是生命的第三个域，具有独特的膜组成和高度多样的细胞壁结构，直到40年前才被人们认识。它们最初是在极端环境中被发现的，目前被认为是普遍存在于大多数（如果不是全部）与真核宿主相关的微生物群落中的生物。然而，由于缺乏标准化的检测方案，以及目前尚不知道有古菌病原体，它们在微生物群落研究中大多被忽视了。近年来的研究清楚地表明：（i）古菌是与植物、动物和人类相关的微生物群落的一部分；（ii）能形成生物膜；（iii）能与人类免疫系统相互作用并激活该系统。未来的研究不仅将明确与宿主相关的古菌多样性（称为“古菌组”），还将有助于我们理解古菌与细菌之间全面的代谢相互作用，并长期深入了解它们在人类健康中的作用以及在疾病发展过程中的潜在作用。
