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Disrupted human-pathogen co-evolution: a model for disease

Nuri Kodaman1, Rafal S Sobota1, Robertino Mera2

  • 1Department of Genetics, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College Hanover, NH, USA ; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Center for Human Genetics Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN, USA.

Frontiers in Genetics
|September 10, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Disrupted co-evolution between pathogens and hosts, not just individual genetic variations, explains infectious disease outcomes. Incorporating genome-by-genome interactions is crucial for accurate disease etiology research.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious disease research
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary biology

Background:

  • Identifying human and pathogen genetic variants is key to understanding microbial pathogenesis.
  • Neither host nor pathogen genetic variation alone adequately explains disease heterogeneity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a model where disrupted co-evolution between pathogen and host explains variations in infectious disease outcomes.
  • To emphasize the importance of genome-by-genome interactions in genetic models of infectious diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual model development.
  • Discussion of the model in the context of Helicobacter pylori, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and human papillomavirus.

Main Results:

  • Genetic epidemiological studies must consider both pathogen and host factors to avoid misleading conclusions.
  • Disrupted co-evolution offers a framework for understanding disease etiology variation.

Conclusions:

  • Incorporating genome-by-genome interactions into genetic models is essential for accurate infectious disease research.
  • The proposed model provides a generalized approach applicable to various infectious agents.
Keywords:
Helicobacter pyloriMycobacterium tuberculosisgenome–genome interactionshost–pathogen co-evolutionhuman diseasehuman papillomavirus

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