Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026
11:10
High-throughput Assay to Phenotype Salmonella enterica Typhimurium Association, Invasion, and Replication in Macrophages
Published on: August 11, 2014
Host-microbiota-pathogen interactions drive Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium pathogenesis
1Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA. andres.vazquez-torres@cuanschutz.edu.
Nature Reviews. Microbiology
|July 23, 2026
Summary
Salmonella Typhimurium infection outcomes depend on host-pathogen interactions. This review explores how Salmonella adapts its metabolism and virulence to host defenses, influencing acute or chronic infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Pathogenesis
Background:
- Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium causes acute diarrhea and chronic carriage in hosts.
- Inflammation, host defenses (inflammasome, hypoxia), and microbial signals shape Salmonella pathogenesis.
- Salmonella adapts its metabolism and virulence to host environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current understanding of Salmonella Typhimurium infection dynamics.
- To explore the interplay between host defenses, microbiota, and Salmonella.
- To elucidate factors determining acute versus chronic Salmonella infection.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on Salmonella Typhimurium pathogenesis.
- Analysis of host-pathogen interactions and immune responses.
- Examination of Salmonella metabolic and virulence adaptations.
Main Results:
- Inflammation plays a dual role, potentially benefiting or harming the host.
- Host cell-specific and tissue-specific responses influence infection outcome.
- Salmonella exhibits paradoxical metabolic strategies for growth and survival.
Conclusions:
- The outcome of Salmonella infection is determined by a dynamic interplay.
- Microbial competition, host defenses, and Salmonella countermeasures dictate infection course.
- Understanding these interactions is key to managing Salmonella infections.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Determinants of Bacterial Pathogenicity and Virulence
Pathogenic bacteria employ a variety of strategies to establish infections, including the secretion of extracellular enzymes that act as potent virulence factors. These enzymes facilitate bacterial colonization of host tissues and help evade immune surveillance. By targeting structural components of host tissues and interfering with immune mechanisms, these enzymes play a pivotal role in disease progression.Extracellular Enzymes Facilitating Tissue Invasion: Several bacterial pathogens secrete...
01:31Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens
The human immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against bacterial infections. It consists of various immune cells, each playing a specific role in the defense mechanism.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
01:25Colonisation of Pathogens
Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...
01:18Bacterial Gastroenteritis
Bacterial gastroenteritis, characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting, is often caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water and is frequently associated with pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. These microbes exploit two principal mechanisms to inflict disease.Shiga toxin–producing E. coli, also referred to as STEC—notably O157:H7—release Shiga toxins that target ribosomes, blocking protein synthesis. The B subunit of the toxin binds the host glycolipid receptor...
01:22Introduction to the Human Microbiota
Microorganisms colonize various regions of the human body, including the mouth, nasal passages, throat, stomach, intestines, urogenital tract, and skin. The total number of microbial cells is estimated to range from 10¹³ to 10¹⁴—comparable to, or exceeding, the number of human somatic cells. This host–microbiome relationship has led to the conceptualization of humans as supraorganisms, wherein microbial communities perform vital roles in development, immunity, and disease...
01:08Evolution of Microbial Genome
Microbial genome evolution is a highly dynamic process shaped by continual gene gain and loss across species and strains. This genomic flexibility allows microorganisms to adapt rapidly to environmental pressures and interactions with other organisms. Central to understanding this diversity is the distinction between the core and pan genomes.The core genome comprises the genes shared by all sampled strains of a species, representing essential functions needed for fundamental cellular processes.