Abstract

Polymicrobial Interactions: Impact on Pathogenesis and Human Disease Brian M. Peters a , b , Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk c , d , Graeme A. O'May b , J. William Costerton e and Mark E. Shirtliff b , d a Graduate Program in Life Sciences, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Program, University of Maryland—Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA b Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland—Baltimore, Dental School, Baltimore, Maryland, USA c Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental School, University of Maryland—Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA d Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland—Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA e Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Center for Genomic Sciences, Allegheny-Singer Research Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA SUMMARY Summary: Microorganisms coexist in a complex milieu of bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses on or within the human body, often as multifaceted polymicrobial biofilm communities at mucosal sites and on abiotic surfaces. Only recently have we begun to appreciate the complicated biofilm phenotype during infection; moreover, even less is known about the interactions that occur between microorganisms during polymicrobial growth and their implications in human disease. Therefore, this review focuses on polymicrobial biofilm-mediated infections and examines the contribution of bacterial-bacterial, bacterial-fungal, and bacterial-viral interactions during human infection and potential strategies for protection against such diseases.