biostudies-literatureJaswal KNCATS NIH HHSNIAID NIH HHS1002-1010https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12460169biostudies-literatureUnknown645(8082)Enteric pathogens engage in complex interactions with the host and the resident microbiota to establish gut colonization^1-3. Although mechanistic interactions between enteric pathogens and bacterial commensals have been extensively studied, whether and how commensal fungi affect enteric infections remain largely unknown¹. Here we show that colonization with the common human gut commensal fungus Candida albicans worsened infections with the enteric pathogen Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium. The presence of C. albicans in the mouse gut increased Salmonella caecal colonization and systemic dissemination. We investigated the underlying mechanism and found that Salmonella binds to C. albicans via type 1 fimbriae and uses its type 3 secretion system tNatureCommensal yeast promotes Salmonella Typhimurium virulence.PMC12460169R01 AI143641UL1 TR002003R01 AI175223Eshoo ETBehnsen JTodd OAPeters BMSantus WSingh MJaswal KPaul SFlores Audelo RCDuffy CMMiao JUnderhill DMfalseCommensal yeast promotes Salmonella Typhimurium virulence.Enteric pathogens engage in complex interactions with the host and the resident microbiota to establish gut colonization^1-3. Although mechanistic interactions between enteric pathogens and bacterial commensals have been extensively studied, whether and how commensal fungi affect enteric infections remain largely unknown¹. Here we show that colonization with the common human gut commensal fungus Candida albicans worsened infections with the enteric pathogen Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium. The presence of C. albicans in the mouse gut increased Salmonella caecal colonization and systemic dissemination. We investigated the underlying mechanism and found that Salmonella binds to C. albicans via type 1 fimbriae and uses its type 3 secretion system t2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Sep2026-06-03T20:05:30.045Z2026-05-01T03:10:59.809ZS-EPMC124601694090357310.1038/s41586-025-09415-y