The Interplay between Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium and the Intestinal Mucosa during Oral Infection

Abstract

Bacterial pathogens typically target specific host tissues. The interaction between host and pathogen is a complex process that differs from cell to cell (1). It strongly depends on the targeted organ and the pathogen itself. Organs are composed of multiple cell types that may cooperate in antimicrobial defense. While earlier work focused on the role of immune cells, it is becoming increasingly clear that non-hematopoietic cells can also serve as key orchestrators of defense. Pathogens employ a combination of virulence factors in order to ensure nutrient supply, avoid killing by innate defenses, and actively manipulate the host in order to establish infection and fuel transmission (2). Deciphering virulence factor function during actual infection of an animal host therefore holds the key to understanding the infection process. © 2019 American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC.