O-antigen-negative Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is attenuated in intestinal colonization but elicits colitis in streptomycin-treated mice

Infect Immun. 2009 Jun;77(6):2568-75. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01537-08. Epub 2009 Apr 13.

Abstract

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a major constituent of the outer membrane and an important virulence factor of Salmonella enterica subspecies 1 serovar Typhimurium (serovar Typhimurium). To evaluate the role of LPS in eliciting intestinal inflammation in streptomycin-treated mice, we constructed an O-antigen-deficient serovar Typhimurium strain through deletion of the wbaP gene. The resulting strain was highly susceptible to human complement activity and the antimicrobial peptide mimic polymyxin B. Furthermore, it showed a severe defect in motility and an attenuated phenotype in a competitive mouse infection experiment, where the DeltawbaP strain (SKI12) was directly compared to wild-type Salmonella. Nevertheless, the DeltawbaP strain (SKI12) efficiently invaded HeLa cells in vitro and elicited acute intestinal inflammation in streptomycin-pretreated mice. Our experiments prove that the presence of complete LPS is not essential for in vitro invasion or for triggering acute colitis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Cecum / microbiology
  • Colitis / microbiology*
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Complement System Proteins / immunology
  • Gene Deletion*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Locomotion
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • O Antigens / genetics*
  • Polymyxin B / pharmacology
  • Salmonella Infections / microbiology*
  • Salmonella Infections, Animal / microbiology*
  • Salmonella typhimurium / drug effects
  • Salmonella typhimurium / immunology
  • Salmonella typhimurium / pathogenicity*
  • Spleen / microbiology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • O Antigens
  • Complement System Proteins
  • Polymyxin B