Salmonella enterica Remodels the Host Cell Endosomal System for Efficient Intravacuolar Nutrition.

Salmonella enterica is a facultative intracellular pathogen that survives and proliferates in the Salmonella-containing vacuole (SCV), yet how these vacuolar bacteria acquire nutrition remains to be determined. Intracellular Salmonella convert the host endosomal system into an extensive network of interconnected tubular vesicles, of which Salmonella-induced filaments (SIFs) are the most prominent. We found that membranes and lumen of SIFs and SCVs form a continuum, giving vacuolar Salmonella access to various types of endocytosed material. Membrane proteins and luminal content rapidly diffuse between SIFs and SCVs. Salmonella in SCVs without connection to SIFs have reduced access to endocytosed components. On a single-cell level, Salmonella within the SCV-SIF continuum were found to exhibit higher metabolic activity than vacuolar bacteria lacking SIFs. Our data demonstrate that formation of the SCV-SIF continuum allows Salmonella to bypass nutritional restriction in the intracellular environment by acquiring nutrients from the host cell endosomal system.

Vaccines against human diarrheal pathogens: current status and perspectives.

Worldwide, nearly 1.7 billion people per year contract diarrheal infectious diseases (DID) and almost 760 000 of infections are fatal. DID are a major problem in developing countries where poor sanitation prevails and food and water may become contaminated by fecal shedding. Diarrhea is caused by pathogens such as bacteria, protozoans and viruses. Important diarrheal pathogens are Vibrio cholerae, Shigella spp. and rotavirus, which can be prevented with vaccines for several years. The focus of this review is on currently available vaccines against these three pathogens, and on development of new vaccines. Currently, various types of vaccines based on traditional (killed, live attenuated, toxoid or conjugate vaccines) and reverse vaccinology (DNA/mRNA, vector, recombinant subunit, plant vaccines) are in development or already available. Development of new vaccines demands high levels of knowledge, experience, budget, and time, yet promising new vaccines often fail in preclinical and clinical studies. Efficacy of vaccination also depends on the route of delivery, and mucosal immunization in particular is of special interest for preventing DID. Furthermore, adjuvants, delivery systems and other vaccine components are essential for an adequate immune response. These aspects will be discussed in relation to the improvement of existing and development of new vaccines against DID.