Identification of sodC encoding periplasmic [Cu,Zn]-superoxide dismutase in Salmonella

sodC, encoding [Cu,Zn]-cofactored superoxide dismutase, once thought to be virtually confined to eukaryotes, has now been described in many Gram-negative pathogens that have their primary niche of colonization in the upper respiratory tract. Their role in host-parasite interactive biology is unknown. We here show that members of the major human and animal enteric pathogenic species Salmonella harbour a version of sodC most closely resembling that found in Brucella abortus. The enzyme it encodes is a novel candidate determinant of virulence in Salmonella, an intracellular pathogen potentially exposed to toxic oxygen free radicals within its intracellular niche.