Salmonella-induced gastroenteritis is the single most common cause of death from food-borne infectious illness in the United Sates (US). S. enterica serotype Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is associated most frequently with this diarrheal disease. S. Typhimurium causes acute intestinal inflammation by invading the intestinal epithelium and surviving within macrophages in the mucosa. Current research on S. Typhimurium pathogenesis is beginning to paint a novel picture of the unique challenges and opportunities encountered during life in the inflamed intestine. New insights into the consequences inflammation has on the growth conditions encountered by microbes residing in the intestinal lumen raise the question which properties enable S. Typhimurium to thrive in this environment. The long term-goal of the proposed research is to identify mechanisms that allow S. Typhimurium to prosper in the lumen of the inflamed intestine, thereby promoting transmission by the fecal-oral route. Our central hypothesis is that inflammation enables S. Typhimurium to catabolize 1 2 propanediol, a fermentation product of fucose, to CO2 using tetrathionate respiration, thereby gaining an advantage during growth in the inflamed gut. We will test different aspects of our hypothesis by pursuing the following specific aims: 1. Determine the role of fucose utilization during growth in the lumen of the inflamed gut. 2. Determine the role of tetrathionate respiration for gaining a luminal growth advantage during inflammation. This application is highly innovative, since the proposed experiments will for the first time explore the unique biochemistry of intestinal inflammation.

Public Health Relevance

Non-typhoidal Salmonella serotypes are the single most common cause of death from diarrheal disease associated with viruses, parasites or bacteria and the leading cause of food borne disease outbreaks in the United States, producing between $0.5 billion to $2.3 billion in annual costs for medical care and lost productivity. The most common human clinical isolates are Salmonella enterica serotypes Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis). Research proposed in this application will support the pioneering studies needed to understand how S. Typhimurium uses intestinal inflammation to outgrow other bacteria in the intestine, a key property for the remarkable epidemiological success of this enteric pathogen.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
1R21AI088122-01
Application #
7867729
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IDM-A (91))
Program Officer
Alexander, William A
Project Start
2010-04-01
Project End
2012-03-30
Budget Start
2010-04-01
Budget End
2011-03-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$186,670
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Davis
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
047120084
City
Davis
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
95618
Winter, Sebastian E; Winter, Maria G; Xavier, Mariana N et al. (2013) Host-derived nitrate boosts growth of E. coli in the inflamed gut. Science 339:708-11
Bäumler, Andreas; Fang, Ferric C (2013) Host specificity of bacterial pathogens. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 3:a010041
Spees, Alanna M; Wangdi, Tamding; Lopez, Christopher A et al. (2013) Streptomycin-induced inflammation enhances Escherichia coli gut colonization through nitrate respiration. MBio 4:
Rivera-Chávez, Fabian; Winter, Sebastian E; Lopez, Christopher A et al. (2013) Salmonella uses energy taxis to benefit from intestinal inflammation. PLoS Pathog 9:e1003267
Huseby, Douglas L; Roth, John R (2013) Evidence that a metabolic microcompartment contains and recycles private cofactor pools. J Bacteriol 195:2864-79
Lopez, Christopher A; Winter, Sebastian E; Rivera-Chavez, Fabian et al. (2012) Phage-mediated acquisition of a type III secreted effector protein boosts growth of salmonella by nitrate respiration. MBio 3:
Chu, Hiutung; Pazgier, Marzena; Jung, Grace et al. (2012) Human ?-defensin 6 promotes mucosal innate immunity through self-assembled peptide nanonets. Science 337:477-81
Wangdi, Tamding; Winter, Sebastian E; Baumler, Andreas J (2012) Typhoid fever: ""you can't hit what you can't see"". Gut Microbes 3:88-92
Thiennimitr, Parameth; Winter, Sebastian E; Baumler, Andreas J (2012) Salmonella, the host and its microbiota. Curr Opin Microbiol 15:108-14
Keestra, A Marijke; Winter, Maria G; Klein-Douwel, Daisy et al. (2011) A Salmonella virulence factor activates the NOD1/NOD2 signaling pathway. MBio 2:

Showing the most recent 10 out of 19 publications