Internal cellular sensors make Salmonella dangerous

Salmonella becomes dangerously virulent only when molecular sensors within the organism sense changes in the environment, a team of researchers from the Yale School of Medicine and the Yale Microbial Diversity Institute report in the June 14 issue of the journal Nature.

The Nature paper discovers that it is not the direct threat from the environment itself that triggers the virulence gene within the bacterium. Instead, changes in the level of acidity in Salmonella's surroundings trigger an increase in levels of ATP, the energy currency of all cells. It is the change in ATP levels within the organism that activates virulence factors and enables Salmonella to survive within its host.

This internal sensor acts in concert with several other factors necessary before these bacteria can become virulent, Groisman said. Understanding all these processes should help scientists develop defenses against infectious diseases, he adds.

Bill Hathaway

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