Prolonged inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis abolishes Salmonella invasion.
We have found that prolonged inhibition of bacterial protein synthesis abolishes the ability of Salmonella typhimurium to enter HEp-2 cells. Our results suggest that an essential invasion factor has a functional half-life that is seen as a gradual loss of invasiveness in the absence of protein synthesis. Therefore, Salmonella invasiveness appears to be a transient phenotype that is lost unless protein synthesis is maintained. This finding may explain why salmonellae grown to stationary phase lose their ability to enter cultured cells. In addition, a short-lived capacity to enter cells may be important during infection so that bacterial invasiveness is limited to certain times and host sites during pathogenesis.
MacBeth
K J
KJ
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Lee
C A
CA
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D002701:Chloramphenicol; D013752:Tetracycline