http://thinkgene.disqus.com/a bio blog about genetics, genomics, and biotechnologyenTue, 29 Jul 2008 21:59:22 -0000http://www.thinkgene.com/symbiotic-microbes-induce-profound-genetic-changes-in-their-hosts/#comment-2464665<p><em>H Pylori</em> is a bacterium that lives in the stomach and can produce ulcers, but often does not. cagA is a gene of H Pylori. I'm not a doctor, but I think Steve is referring to that about 10 years ago, cagA-positive <em>H Pylori</em> strains were found to increase stomach cancer risk. Later, studies suggested that something about H Pylori cagA was changing the signaling in the stomach cells which was causing the increased cancer risk.</p><p>So, bacteria that otherwise lived peacefully in the human stomach became virulent when the bacteria mutated and unbalanced some host microbial coexistence mechanism.</p><p><a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DEED91E39F935A35751C1A963958260" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DEED91E39F935A35751C1A963958260">NY Times article</a></p>Andrew YatesTue, 29 Jul 2008 21:59:22 -0000http://www.thinkgene.com/symbiotic-microbes-induce-profound-genetic-changes-in-their-hosts/#comment-2464664<p>H Pylori is the tip of the iceberg. CagA is only one player in the host-bug epigenome environment.......</p><p>-Steve<br><a href="http://www.thegenesherpa.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" title="www.thegenesherpa.blogspot.com">www.thegenesherpa.blogspot.com</a></p>Steven Murphy MDTue, 29 Jul 2008 21:46:15 -0000