Citrobacter rodentium: infection, inflammation and the microbiota

Nat Rev Microbiol. 2014 Sep;12(9):612-23. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro3315. Epub 2014 Aug 4.

Abstract

Citrobacter rodentium is a mucosal pathogen of mice that shares several pathogenic mechanisms with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), which are two clinically important human gastrointestinal pathogens. Thus, C. rodentium has long been used as a model to understand the molecular basis of EPEC and EHEC infection in vivo. In this Review, we discuss recent studies in which C. rodentium has been used to study mucosal immunology, including the deregulation of intestinal inflammatory responses during bacteria-induced colitis and the role of the intestinal microbiota in mediating resistance to colonization by enteric pathogens. These insights should help to elucidate the roles of mucosal inflammatory responses and the microbiota in the virulence of enteric pathogens.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Citrobacter rodentium / immunology
  • Citrobacter rodentium / pathogenicity*
  • Citrobacter rodentium / physiology
  • Colitis / immunology*
  • Colitis / microbiology
  • Colon / microbiology
  • Diet
  • Enterobacteriaceae Infections / immunology*
  • Enterobacteriaceae Infections / microbiology
  • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Epithelium / microbiology
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions*
  • Immunity, Mucosal
  • Intestine, Large / microbiology
  • Mice
  • Microbiota*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Virulence