Systemic translocation of Salmonella enterica serovar Dublin in cattle occurs predominantly via efferent lymphatics in a cell-free niche and requires type III secretion system 1 (T3SS-1) but not T3SS-2.

Salmonella enterica is an important diarrheal pathogen, and infections may involve severe systemic sequelae depending on serovar- and host-specific factors. The molecular mechanisms underlying translocation of host-restricted and -specific serovars of S. enterica from the intestines to distal organs are ill defined. By surgical cannulation of lymph and blood vessels draining the distal ileum in cattle, S. enterica serovar Dublin was observed to translocate predominantly via mesenteric lymph nodes to efferent lymphatics in a manner that correlates with systemic virulence, since the fowl typhoid-associated serovar Gallinarum translocated at a significantly lower level. While both S. enterica serovars Dublin and Gallinarum were intracellular while in the intestinal mucosa and associated with major histocompatibility complex class II-positive cells, the bacteria were predominantly extracellular within efferent lymph. Screening of a library of signature-tagged serovar Dublin mutants following oral inoculation of calves defined the role of 36 virulence-associated loci in enteric and systemic phases of infection. The number and proportion of tagged clones reaching the liver and spleen early after oral infection were identical to the values in efferent lymph, implying that this may be a relevant mode of dissemination. Coinfection studies confirmed that lymphatic translocation requires the function of type III secretion system 1 (T3SS-1) but, remarkably, not T3SS-2. This is the first description of the mode and genetics of systemic translocation of serovar Dublin in its natural host.

Interaction of Salmonella serotypes with porcine macrophages in vitro does not correlate with virulence.

The interaction between Salmonella serotypes and macrophages is potentially instrumental in determining the outcome of infection. The nature of this interaction was characterized with respect to virulence and serotype-host specificity using pigs as the infection model. Experimental infection with Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella choleraesuis or Salmonella dublin resulted in enteric, systemic or asymptomatic infection, respectively, which correlates well with the association of S. choleraesuis with systemic disease in pigs in epidemiological studies. Persistence within porcine alveolar macrophages in vitro did not directly correlate with virulence since S. typhimurium persisted in the highest numbers, and S. choleraesuis in the lowest. Comparison to other studies revealed that the relatively high persistence of S. typhimurium in macrophages correlates with its virulence in a broad range of animals: this could be a virulence mechanism for broad-host-range serotypes. There were little or no significant differences in the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines by macrophages infected with the three serotypes. S. typhimurium and S. dublin, but not S. choleraesuis, damaged porcine macrophages, and the mechanism of damage did not resemble apoptosis. In conclusion, the virulence of Salmonella serotypes in pigs did not directly correlate with their interaction with porcine macrophages in vitro. The interaction of Salmonella and macrophages in vitro may not accurately model their interaction in vivo, and this will form the basis of further study.

The role of two periplasmic copper- and zinc-cofactored superoxide dismutases in the virulence of Salmonella choleraesuis.

Periplasmic copper- and zinc-cofactored superoxide dismutases ([Cu,Zn]-SODs, SodC) of several Gram-negative pathogens can protect against superoxide-radical-mediated host defences, and thus contribute to virulence. This role has been previously defined for one [Cu,Zn]-SOD in various Salmonella serovars. Following the recent discovery of a second periplasmic [Cu,Zn]-SOD in Salmonella, the effect of knockout mutations in one or both of the original sodC-1 and the new sodC-2 on the virulence of the porcine pathogen Salmonella choleraesuis is investigated here. In comparison to wild-type, while sodC mutants--whether single or double--showed no impairment in growth, they all showed equally enhanced sensitivity to superoxide and a dramatically increased sensitivity to the combination of superoxide and nitric oxide in vitro. This observation had its correlate in experimental infection both ex vivo and in vivo. Mutation of sodC significantly impaired survival of S. choleraesuis in interferon gamma-stimulated murine macrophages compared to wild-type organisms, and all S. choleraesuis sodC mutants persisted in significantly lower numbers than wild-type in BALB/c (Ity(s)) and C3H/HeN (Ity(r)) mice after experimental infection, but in no experimental system were sodC-1 sodC-2 double mutants more attenuated than either single mutant. These data suggest that both [Cu,Zn]-SODs are needed to protect bacterial periplasmic or membrane components. While SodC plays a role in S. choleraesuis virulence, the data presented here suggest that this is through overcoming a threshold effect, probably achieved by acquisition of sodC-1 on a bacteriophage. Loss of either sodC gene confers maximum vulnerability to superoxide on S. choleraesuis.

Analysis of Salmonella enterica serotype-host specificity in calves: avirulence of S. enterica serotype gallinarum correlates with bacterial dissemination from mesenteric lymph nodes and persistence in vivo.

Host and bacterial factors that determine whether Salmonella serotypes remain restricted to the gastrointestinal tract or penetrate beyond the mucosa and cause systemic disease remain largely undefined. Here, factors influencing Salmonella host specificity in calves were assessed by characterizing the pathogenesis of different serotypes. Salmonella enterica serotype Dublin was highly virulent intravenously, whereas S. enterica serotype Choleraesuis was moderately virulent. Both serotypes were virulent in calves infected orally. In contrast, S. enterica serotypes Gallinarum and Abortusovis were avirulent by either route. Serotypes Dublin, Gallinarum, and Abortusovis colonized the intestinal tract 24 h after oral inoculation, yet only serotype Dublin was consistently recovered from systemic tissues. Serotypes Dublin and Gallinarum invaded bovine intestines in greater numbers and induced greater enteropathogenic responses than serotypes Choleraesuis and Abortusovis. However, only serotype Dublin was able to persist within the intestinal mucosa, and use of a novel cannulation model demonstrated that serotype Dublin was able to pass through the mesenteric lymph nodes in greater numbers than serotype Gallinarum. Together, these results suggest that initial interactions with the intestinal mucosa do not correlate with host specificity, although persistence within tissues and translocation via efferent lymphatics appear to be crucial for the induction of bovine salmonellosis.