Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Implementation of a Permeable Membrane Insert-based Infection System to Study the Effects of Secreted Bacterial Toxins on Mammalian Host Cells
09:25

Implementation of a Permeable Membrane Insert-based Infection System to Study the Effects of Secreted Bacterial Toxins on Mammalian Host Cells

Published on: August 19, 2016

Current hypotheses on synergistic microbial gangrene

D Kingston1, D V Seal

  • 1Microbial Pathogenicity Research Group, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex, UK.

The British Journal of Surgery
|March 1, 1990
PubMed

Insights

Synergistic bacterial infections cause severe skin infections like necrotizing fasciitis and anaerobic cellulitis. Animal studies confirm bacterial synergy, crucial for understanding these rapidly spreading dermal diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Spreading infections of the dermis are a significant clinical concern.
  • The role of microbial synergy in the causation of these infections is increasingly recognized.
  • Evidence for synergy comes from both clinical observations and animal studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the importance of synergy in the causation of spreading dermal infections.
  • To discuss evidence supporting microbial synergy from clinical and animal studies.
  • To examine specific conditions such as necrotizing fasciitis, anaerobic cellulitis, and Meleney's synergistic postoperative gangrene.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing clinical studies on spreading skin infections.
  • Analysis of evidence from laboratory animal studies investigating microbial interactions.
  • Examination of specific pathogenic mechanisms in different types of synergistic infections.

Main Results:

  • Necrotizing fasciitis can result from beta-hemolytic streptococci, often with Staphylococcus aureus, or mixed aerobic/anaerobic gut flora.
  • Animal studies demonstrate Staphylococcus aureus potentiation of beta-hemolytic streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis.
  • Synergy is evident in mixed aerobic and anaerobic infections causing anaerobic cellulitis, supported by animal models.

Conclusions:

  • Microbial synergy plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of severe spreading skin infections.
  • Understanding synergistic interactions is essential for effective diagnosis and treatment of conditions like necrotizing fasciitis.
  • While animal models exist for some synergistic infections, further development is needed for others, like necrotizing fasciitis caused by mixed aerobes and anaerobes.

More Related Videos

Kinetic Visualization of Single-Cell Interspecies Bacterial Interactions08:33

Kinetic Visualization of Single-Cell Interspecies Bacterial Interactions

Published on: August 5, 2020

Investigation of Microbial Cooperation via Imaging Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Bacterial Colonies Grown on Agar and in Tissue During Infection09:49

Investigation of Microbial Cooperation via Imaging Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Bacterial Colonies Grown on Agar and in Tissue During Infection

Published on: November 18, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
Microbial Interactions: Mutualism01:25

Microbial Interactions: Mutualism

Mutualism is a symbiotic interaction in which all participating organisms benefit. These relationships can be obligate or facultative and are fundamental to ecosystem functions across diverse biological systems.Plant–Fungi MutualismOne well-known example is the association between plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi, such as Rhizophagus species. The fungal hyphae penetrate the root hairs and the epidermis, forming an extensive hyphal network that establishes a symbiotic association. Through this...
Microbial Interactions: Cooperation01:26

Microbial Interactions: Cooperation

Microbial cooperation involves beneficial interactions in which different species work together for individual or mutual advantage. These interactions can profoundly influence ecological dynamics and evolutionary processes, and they are essential to many pathogenic and symbiotic relationships.Nematode–Bacteria CooperationA striking example is the relationship between the Gram-negative bacterium Xenorhabdus nematophila and the parasitic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. Juvenile nematodes...
Bacterial Toxins01:12

Bacterial Toxins

Bacterial toxins are sophisticated virulence factors that enable pathogenic bacteria to interact with, invade, and damage host tissues. These toxins fall broadly into two types: protein exotoxins, which are secreted into the environment and target specific host receptors, and lipopolysaccharide endotoxins, which are structural components of the bacterial outer membrane released primarily during bacterial lysis or membrane shedding. Exotoxins generally act more selectively, binding to cell...
Determinants of Bacterial Pathogenicity and Virulence01:20

Determinants of Bacterial Pathogenicity and Virulence

Pathogenic bacteria employ a variety of strategies to establish infections, including the secretion of extracellular enzymes that act as potent virulence factors. These enzymes facilitate bacterial colonization of host tissues and help evade immune surveillance. By targeting structural components of host tissues and interfering with immune mechanisms, these enzymes play a pivotal role in disease progression.Extracellular Enzymes Facilitating Tissue Invasion: Several bacterial pathogens secrete...
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...