Genomic diversity in Helicobacter and related organisms

The human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori possesses an enormous genomic plasticity and diversity that facilitates host adaptation. Despite the ancient association with its human host, this ɛ-proteobacterium can cause gastritis, ulcers and gastric cancer. Here we focus on multiple aspects of the genome level biology, from population genomics to re-evaluating the genus definition.