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. 1996 Jul 23;93(15):7800–7804. doi: 10.1073/pnas.93.15.7800

Identification of a pathogenicity island required for Salmonella survival in host cells.

H Ochman 1, F C Soncini 1, F Solomon 1, E A Groisman 1
PMCID: PMC38828  PMID: 8755556

Abstract

We have identified a region unique to the Salmonella typhimurium chromosome that is essential for virulence in mice. This region harbors at least three genes: two (spiA and spiB) encode products that are similar to proteins found in type III secretion systems, and a third (spiR) encodes a putative regulator. A strain with a mutation in spiA was unable to survive within macrophages but displayed wild-type levels of epithelial cell invasion. The culture supernatants of the spi mutants lacked a modified form of flagellin, which was present in the supernatant of the wild-type strain. This suggests that the Spi secretory apparatus exports a protease, or a protein that can alter the activity of a secreted protease. The "pathogenicity island" harboring the spi genes may encode the virulence determinants that set Salmonella apart from other enteric pathogens.

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Selected References

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