title: HtpG contributes to Salmonella Typhimurium intestinal persistence in pigs.
abstract: Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhimurium (Salmonella Typhimurium) contamination of pork, is one of the major sources of human salmonellosis. The bacterium is able to persist and hide in asymptomatic carrier animals, generating a reservoir for Salmonella transmission to other animals and humans. Mechanisms involved in Salmonella persistence in pigs remain poorly understood. In the present study, we demonstrate that the Salmonella htpG gene, encoding a homologue of the eukaryotic heat shock protein 90, contributes to Salmonella Typhimurium persistence in intestine-associated tissues of pigs, but not in the tonsils. HtpG does not seem to play an important role during the acute phase of infection. The contribution to persistence was shown to be associated with htpG-dependent Salmonella invasion and survival in porcine enterocytes and macrophages. These results reveal the role of HtpG as a virulence factor contributing to Salmonella persistence in pigs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Elin.verbrugghe@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Elin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verbrugghe
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Alexander.vanparys@ugent.be.|Department of Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Alexander.vanparys@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Parys
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Bregje.leyman@ugent.be.|Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Bregje.leyman@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Bregje
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leyman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Filip.boyen@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Freddy.haesebrouck@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haesebrouck
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. Frank.pasmans@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasmans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000382:microbiology*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors; C066720:HtpG protein, bacteria