Molecular mechanisms of Salmonella invasion: the type III secretion system of the pathogenicity island 1

Authors

  • Mónica Suárez Grupo de Patogénesis Molecular Bacteriana, Departamento de Patología Animal I, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
  • Holger Rüssmann Lehrstuhl für Bakteriologie, Max von Pettenkofer-Institut, Universität München, Germany

Keywords:

Salmonella, virulence, protein secretion, bacterial invasion, intracellular

Abstract

Salmonella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens which are able to enter into non-phagocytic cells as an essential step in their pathogenic life cycle. The majority of the molecular determinants involved in this entry process are encoded in a pathogenicity island located at the centisome 63 of the bacterial chromosome, and belong to a specialized protein secretion system termed “type III” or “contactdependent”. This secretion system is used by Salmonella spp. and several other bacterial pathogens to translocate bacterial effector proteins into the eukaryotic cell. Thus, a bidirectional biochemical cross-talk with the host cell is initiated, which leads to several responses such as membrane ruffling, bacterial internalization and the activation of various transcription factors.

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Published

2010-03-17

Issue

Section

Research Articles