Biofilm Formation and Virulence of Shigella flexneri Are Modulated by pH of Gastrointestinal Tract.

ABSTRACT: Shigella infection remains a public health problem in much of the world. Classic models of Shigella pathogenesis suggest that microfold epithelial cells in the small intestine are the preferred initial site of invasion. However, recent evidence supports an alternative model in which Shigella primarily infects a much wider range of epithelial cells that reside primarily in the colon. Here, we investigated whether the luminal pH difference between the small intestine and the colon could provide evidence in support of either model of Shigella flexneri pathogenesis. Because virulence factors culminating in cellular invasion are linked to biofilms in S. flexneri, we examined the effect of pH on the ability of S. flexneri to form and maintain adherent biofilms induced by deo

SUBMITTER: Chiang IL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8519285 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature