Competition for Metals among Microbes and Their Host

Excerpt

Both microorganisms and their eukaryotic hosts must acquire and compete for metal ions, often from scarce environmental sources, for their metabolism. Since metal ions can also be toxic, their cellular levels must be precisely regulated. The battle over these nutrients may affect the balance between microbe and host, impacting inflammatory responses and determining the outcome of this relationship during colonization and disease. This chapter examines aspects of the thrust and parry among bacteria residing in a host, and between bacteria and their host over metals.