Germs gone wild

Abstract

The normally harmless behavior of bacteria in the intestinal tract is maintained by community structure and the integrity of host defenses. When either or both of these are compromised, a few disgruntled outcasts can cause a riot, taking down the whole neighborhood. Hoshi and Medzhitov comment on a study by Ayers et al. in which they provide a detailed account of the lethal consequences of antibiotic-induced disturbance of the intestinal microbiota and the detrimental role of the innate immune system in decreasing tolerance in this setting.