ABSTRACT
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 47 General Characterisics of AAB ................................................................................48 Classical Isolation Sources of AAB and the Insect Body Niche ............................. 51 Insect Gut and AAB ................................................................................................. 52 Insect Species Inhabited by AAB ............................................................................ 53 Interaction of AAB with the Insect Immune System ............................................... 62 Transmission Routes of AAB .................................................................................. 63 Are AAB Virulent in Humans? ................................................................................64 Sequenced Genomes of AAB, and the Metagenome of Insect Host Symbionts .....64 Symbiotic Control Approach Exploiting AAB ........................................................65 Open Questions ........................................................................................................66 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................66 References ................................................................................................................ 67
Insects host a large diversity of microorganisms, and during a long time of coevolution, different symbiotic interactions of mutualistic, commensal, and parasitic natures have been established. Despite that pathogenic interactions have been initially studied more intensively, like in the case of Bacillus thuringiensis, the recent rebirth of endosymbiont research moved the focus away from the pathogenic relationships, emphasizing the extent to which microbes have integrated their biology with that of insects.
