Main description:

Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the classical etiological agent of diphtheria and the type strain of the genus Corynebacterium. While diphtheria of the respiratory tract became rare with the introduction of vaccination programs in industrialized countries, even today several thousand cases per year are reported to the World Health Organization. This shows that diphtheria is not completely eradicated and that reservoirs exist. The book summarizes the latest advances made in understanding C. diphtheriae and the closely related species Corynebacterium ulcerans and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Topics addressed are genomics of toxigenic corynebacteria, host-pathogen-interaction, detection, surveillance and treatment as well as application aspects.

Contents:

1. Diphtheria and its etiological agents

Andreas Burkovski, Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany

2. Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Corynebacterium ulcerans and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis - General aspects

Ana Luiza de Mattos Guaraldi , Raphael Hirata Junior & Vasco Ariston de Carvalho Azevedo

3. Comparative genomics and pathogenicity islands of Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Corynebacterium ulcerans, and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

Eva Trost & Andreas Tauch

4. Corynephages: infections of the infectors

Vartul Sangal & Paul A Hoskisson

5. Toxin structure, delivery and action

Basak Varol, Bilge OEzerman Edis & Muhammet Bektas

6. Iron Acquisition and Iron-Dependent Gene Expression in Corynebacterium diphtheriae

Michael P. Schmitt

7. Assembly and Function of Corynebacterium diphtheriae Pili

Melissa E. Reardon and Hung Ton-That

8. Toxigenic corynebacteria: Adhesion, invasion and host response

Lisa Ott & Andreas Burkovski

9. Detection methods for laboratory diagnosis of diphtheria

Anja Berger, Michael Hogardt, Regina Konrad & Andreas Sing

10. Diphtheria Surveillance

Karen S. Wagner, Katherina Zakikhany, Joanne M. White, Gayatri Amirthalingam, Natasha S. Crowcroft & Androulla Efstratiou

11. History of diphtheria vaccine development

Enrico Malito & Rino Rappuoli

12. Antimicrobial susceptibility and treatment

Aleksandra Anna Zasada

13. Sialidases of Corynebacteria and their Biotechnological Applications

14. Molecular Genetic Tools for Research in Corynebacterium diphtheriae

Diana M. Oram

15. Diphtheria toxin based molecules as therapeutic approaches

Ingo Schubert