Incoming pathogens team up with harmless ‘resident’ bacteria

Microbial diseases occur as a result of multifarious host–pathogen interactions. However, invading pathogens encounter a large number of different harmless and beneficial bacterial species, which colonize and reside in the host. Surprisingly, there has been little study of the possible interactions between incoming pathogens and the resident bacterial community. Recent studies have revealed that resident bacteria assist different types of incoming pathogens via a wide variety of mechanisms including cell–cell signaling, metabolic interactions, evasion of the immune response and a resident-to-pathogen switch. This calls for serious consideration of pathogen–microbe interactions in the host with respect to disease severity and progression.