Symbiotic relations of humans and microorganisms

Symbiosis is considered to be the biological basis of the infectious process. Particular attention is paid to the change of paradigm in symbiology and the introduction of a new term, associative symbiosis. The main structural-functional elements of associative symbiosis are estimated, and three vectors of the infectious process are distinguished: (1) host-normal flora, (2) host-associants, and (3) associants-indigenous microflora (microsymbiocenosis). The functions of microsymbionts that determine the colonization resistance of the host and the formation of dysbioses and pathobiocenoses are discussed. The phenomenon of microbial self-nonself recognition is determined on the basis of the opposite (increase/decrease) effects on the growth and persistent (including biofilm formation) characteristics of the dominant-associant pair under the conditions of microsymbiocenosis in humans. Material is presented to characterize the role of intercellular interactions of the symbionts at the level of prokaryotes and pro-eukaryotes under the conditions of infectious pathology.