In order to survive, bacteria must constantly monitor their structure and physiology. Adaptive behaviours are established by using environmental sensors and response regulators. These communication modules regulate a wide variety of signals including host detection and invasion, cell cycle, metabolite utilization, starvation and many others. The purpose of this volume is to give an overview of the various systems and to introduce recent advances in understanding selected systems of pathogenic bacteria.

Introduction: An Overview of Bacterial Signal Transduction

1. Signal Transduction and Iron-Mediated Regulation of Virulence Factors
2. BvgAS Dependent Phenotypic Modulation of Bordetella Species
3. Signal Transduction and Environmental Stress in Control of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Virulence
4. PhoP/PhoQ: Regulating Salmonella Adaptation to Host Microenvironments
5. Regulation of Virulence in Vibrio Cholerae by the ToxR System
6. Environmental Control of Virulence Functions and Signal Transduction in Yersinia Enterocolitica
7. Signal Transduction and Virulence Gene Regulation in Shigella spp.: Temperature and (maybe) a Whole Lot More
8. Control of Listeria Monocytogenes Virulence by the Transcriptional Regulator PrfA
9. Signal Transduction in Staphylococci and Other Gram-Positive Cocci.