Microbial Endocrinology

Abstract

Microbial Endocrinology is a new microbiology research discipline that represents the intersection of microbiology and endocrinology with neurophysiology. It has as its main tenet that through their long co-existence with animals and plants, micro-organisms have evolved sensory systems for detecting host-associated hormones. These sensing systems allow the microbe to determine that they are within proximity of a suitable host, and that is time to initiate expression of genes involved in host colonisation. Microbial Endocrinology therefore provides a new paradigm with which to examine and understand the interactions of micro-organisms with their host under conditions present in both health and disease. This article will focus on microbial interactions with the fight and flight family of catecholamine stress hormones. © 2011 © Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Wien.