Evaluation of the role of SsaV Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 dependent type III secretion system components on the virulence behavior of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Abstract

Salmonella is a causative agent of wide range of diseases varying from gastroenteritis to systemic typhoid fever. It uses specialized Type III secretion system (T3SS) by its two compartments to invade and intracellularly survive inside the immune cells. T3SS is expressed in two subsequent phases by two distinct Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SP) I and II. Understanding and evaluation of components T3SS-SPI1 and T3SS-SPI2 are very important, not only to evaluate the bacterial virulence but also to develop vaccines. In this study, the effect of mutation on SsaV encoding gene (one of the essential T3SS-SPI2 components) was investigated on the virulence behavior of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. We found a significant reduction in invasion capability and intracellular replication as well.