[Infection--modeling system of associative symbiosis]

Attempt to consider an infection as a model of associative symbiosis was made. Assessing symbiosis as a biologic basis of infectious process, author pays attention to change of paradigm in symbiology and emergence of a new concept--associative symbiosis. Main structural and functional elements of associative symbiosis are reviewed and their analogy to vectors of infectious process was established. Special attention is paid to associative symbionts (pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms) as well as to their universal way of interaction with host and dominating normal flora. It was pointed out that the basis of interaction between symbionts is determined by change of persistence potential of both infectious agent and commensal microorganisms including indigenous microflora during interactions with each other. Data characterizing the role of symbionts intercellular interactions on the level pro-prokaryotes, pro-eukaryotes during infection and unveiling pathogenetic basis of infectious processes are provided.