Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi conceals the invasion-associated type three secretion system from the innate immune system by gene regulation

PLoS Pathog. 2014 Jul 3;10(7):e1004207. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004207. eCollection 2014 Jul.

Abstract

Delivery of microbial products into the mammalian cell cytosol by bacterial secretion systems is a strong stimulus for triggering pro-inflammatory host responses. Here we show that Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), the causative agent of typhoid fever, tightly regulates expression of the invasion-associated type III secretion system (T3SS-1) and thus fails to activate these innate immune signaling pathways. The S. Typhi regulatory protein TviA rapidly repressed T3SS-1 expression, thereby preventing RAC1-dependent, RIP2-dependent activation of NF-κB in epithelial cells. Heterologous expression of TviA in S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) suppressed T3SS-1-dependent inflammatory responses generated early after infection in animal models of gastroenteritis. These results suggest that S. Typhi reduces intestinal inflammation by limiting the induction of pathogen-induced processes through regulation of virulence gene expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Secretion Systems / genetics
  • Bacterial Secretion Systems / immunology*
  • Cattle
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gastroenteritis / genetics
  • Gastroenteritis / immunology*
  • Gastroenteritis / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / immunology
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate*
  • Mice
  • Salmonella typhi / genetics
  • Salmonella typhi / immunology*
  • Salmonella typhi / pathogenicity
  • Typhoid Fever / genetics
  • Typhoid Fever / immunology*
  • Typhoid Fever / pathology
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Virulence Factors / immunology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Secretion Systems
  • Virulence Factors