REVIEW published: 10 April 2018 doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00603 The Road to Infection: Host-Microbe Interactions Defining the Pathogenicity of Streptococcus bovis/Streptococcus equinus Complex Members Christoph Jans 1* and Annemarie Boleij 2 1 Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Science and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, 2 Department of Pathology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands The Streptococcus bovis/Streptococcus equinus complex (SBSEC) comprises several species inhabiting the animal and human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). They match the pathobiont description, are potential zoonotic agents and technological organisms in fermented foods. SBSEC members are associated with multiple diseases in humans and animals including ruminal acidosis, infective endocarditis (IE) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, this review aims to re-evaluate adhesion and colonization abilities Edited by: of SBSEC members of animal, human and food origin paired with genomic and Sven Hammerschmidt, University of Greifswald, Germany functional host-microbe interaction data on their road from colonization to infection. Reviewed by: SBSEC seem to be a marginal population during GIT symbiosis that can proliferate Konstantinos Papadimitriou, as opportunistic pathogens. Risk factors for human colonization are considered Agricultural University of Athens, Greece living in rural areas and animal-feces contact. Niche adaptation plays a pivotal role Marcelo Gottschalk, where Streptococcus gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus (SGG) retained the ability to Université de Montréal, Canada proliferate in various environments. Other SBSEC members have undergone genome *Correspondence: reduction and niche-specific gene gain to yield important commensal, pathobiont and Christoph Jans
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