Infection by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is accompanied by dysbiosis and a decrease of microbiota-derived butyrate. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Gillis et al. (2018) demonstrate that the lack of butyrate reprograms colonic epithelial metabolism toward lactate fermentation. Lactate is then used as a respiratory electron donor, supporting Salmonella growth and thus promoting infection.
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