Participation of the Salmonella OmpD porin in the infection of RAW264.7 macrophages and BALB/c mice

LysR-type transcriptional regulators: state of the art

The LysR-type transcriptional regulators (LTTRs) are DNA-binding proteins present in bacteria, archaea, and in algae. Knowledge about their distribution, abundance, evolution, structural organization, transcriptional regulation, fundamental roles in free life, pathogenesis, and bacteria-plant interaction has been generated. This review focuses on these aspects and provides a current picture of LTTR biology.

Genomic Diversity, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Virulence Gene Profiles of Salmonella Serovar Kentucky Isolated from Humans, Food, and Animal Ceca Content Sources in the United States

Salmonella serovar Kentucky is frequently isolated from chickens and dairy cattle, but recovery from humans is comparatively low based on the U.S. National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) reports. We aimed to better describe the genetic diversity, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence determinants of Salmonella Kentucky isolates from humans, food animal ceca, retail meat and poultry products, imported foods and food products, and other samples. We analyzed the genomes of 774 Salmonella Kentucky isolates and found that 63% (54/86) of human isolates were sequence type (ST)198, 33% (29/86) were ST152, and 3.5% (3/86) were ST314. Ninety-one percent (570/629) of cecal isolates and retail meat and poultry isolates were ST152 or ST152-like (one allele difference), and 9.2% (58/629) were ST198. Isolates from imported food were mostly ST198 (60%, 22/37) and ST314 (29.7%, 11/37). ST198 isolates clustered into two main lineages. Clade ST198.2 comprised almost entirely isolates from humans and imported foods, all containing triple mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) that confer resistance to fluoroquinolones. Clade ST198.1 contained isolates from humans, ceca, retail meat and poultry products, and imported foods that largely lacked QRDR mutations. ST152 isolates from cattle had a lineage (Clade 2) distinct from ST152 isolates from chicken (Clade 4), and half of ST152 human isolates clustered within two other clades (Clades 1 and 3), largely distinct from Clades 2 and 4. Although clinical illness associated with Salmonella Kentucky is low, ST198 appears to account for most human infections in the Unites States but is uncommon among ceca of domestic food animals and retail meat and poultry products. These findings, combined with human exposure data, suggest that fluoroquinolone-resistant ST198 infections may be linked to the consumption of food products that are imported or consumed while traveling. We also found unique differences in the composition of virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance genes among the clades, which may provide clues to the host specificity and pathogenicity of Salmonella Kentucky lineages.

Salmonella Typhimurium outer membrane protein A (OmpA) renders protection from nitrosative stress of macrophages by maintaining the stability of bacterial outer membrane

Bacterial porins are highly conserved outer membrane proteins used in the selective transport of charged molecules across the membrane. In addition to their significant contributions to the pathogenesis of Gram-negative bacteria, their role(s) in salmonellosis remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the role of outer membrane protein A (OmpA), one of the major outer membrane porins of Salmonella, in the pathogenesis of Salmonella Typhimurium (STM). Our study revealed that OmpA plays an important role in the intracellular virulence of Salmonella. An ompA deficient strain of Salmonella (STM ΔompA) showed compromised proliferation in macrophages. We found that the SPI-2 encoded virulence factors such as sifA and ssaV are downregulated in STM ΔompA. The poor colocalization of STM ΔompA with LAMP-1 showed that disruption of SCV facilitated its release into the cytosol of macrophages, where it was assaulted by reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI). The enhanced recruitment of nitrotyrosine on the cytosolic population of STM ΔompAΔsifA and ΔompAΔssaV compared to STM ΔsifA and ΔssaV showed an additional role of OmpA in protecting the bacteria from host nitrosative stress. Further, we showed that the generation of greater redox burst could be responsible for enhanced sensitivity of STM ΔompA to the nitrosative stress. The expression of several other outer membrane porins such as ompC, ompD, and ompF was upregulated in STM ΔompA. We found that in the absence of ompA, the enhanced expression of ompF increased the outer membrane porosity of Salmonella and made it susceptible to in vitro and in vivo nitrosative stress. Our study illustrates a novel mechanism for the strategic utilization of OmpA by Salmonella to protect itself from the nitrosative stress of macrophages.

Salmonella Typhimurium majorly uses SPI-1 and SPI-2 encoded T3SS and virulence factors for thriving in the host macrophages. But the role of non-SPI genes in Salmonella pathogenesis remains unknown. This article illustrates a novel mechanism of how a non-SPI virulent protein, OmpA, helps Salmonella Typhimurium to survive in murine macrophages. Our data revealed that Salmonella lacking OmpA (STM ΔompA) is deficient in producing SPI-2 effector proteins and has a severe defect in maintaining the stability of its outer membrane. It is released into the cytosol of macrophages during infection after disrupting the SCV membrane. STM ΔompA was severely challenged with reactive nitrogen intermediates in the cytosol, which reduced their proliferation in macrophages. We further showed that the deletion of OmpA increased the expression of other larger porins (ompC, ompD, and ompF) on the surface of Salmonella. It was observed that the enhanced expression of OmpF in STM ΔompA increased the outer membrane permeability and made the bacteria more susceptible to in vitro and in vivo nitrosative stress. Altogether our study proposes new insights into the role of Salmonella OmpA as an essential virulence factor.

Distinct Potentially Adaptive Accumulation of Truncation Mutations in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A

Gene inactivation through the accumulation of truncation (or premature stop codon) mutations is a common mode of evolution in bacteria. It is frequently believed to result from reductive evolutionary processes allowing purging of superfluous traits. However, several works have demonstrated that, similar to the occurrences of inactivating nonsynonymous (i.e., amino acid replacement) mutations under positive selection pressures, truncation mutations can also be adaptive where specific traits deleterious in particular environmental conditions need to be inactivated for survival. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of genome-wide accumulation of truncation mutations in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A. Considering the known convergent evolutionary trajectories in these two serovars, we expected a strong overlap of truncated genes in S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A, emerging through either reductive or adaptive dynamics. However, we detected a distinct set of core truncated genes encoding different overrepresented functional clusters in each serovar. In 54% and 28% truncated genes in S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A, respectively, inactivating mutations were acquired by only different subsets of isolates, instead of all isolates analyzed for that serovar. Importantly, 62% truncated genes (P < 0.001) in S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A were also targeted by convergent amino acid mutations in different serovars, suggesting those genes to be under selection pressures. Our findings indicate significant presence of potentially adaptive truncation mutations in conjunction with the ones emerging due to reductive evolution. Further experimental and large-scale bioinformatic studies are necessary to better explore the impact of such adaptive footprints of truncation mutations in the evolution of bacterial virulence. IMPORTANCE Detecting the adaptive mutations leading to gene inactivation or loss of function is crucial for understanding their contribution in the evolution of bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance. Such inactivating mutations, apart from being of nonsynonymous (i.e., amino acid replacement) nature, can also be truncation mutations, abruptly trimming the length of encoded proteins. Importantly, the notion of reductive evolutionary dynamics is primarily accepted toward the accumulation of truncation mutations. However, our case study on S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A, two human-restricted systemically invasive pathogens exerting similar clinical manifestations, indicated that a significant proportion of truncation mutations emerge from positive selection pressures. The candidate genes from our study will enable directed functional assays for deciphering the adaptive role of truncation mutations in S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A pathogenesis. Also, our genome-level analytical approach will pave the way to understand the contribution of truncation mutations in the adaptive evolution of other bacterial pathogens.

Molecular and phenotypic characterization of Salmonella Typhimurium monophasic variant (1,4,[5],12:i:-) from Colombian clinical isolates

Introduction. The Salmonella Typhimurium monophasic variant (1,4,[5],12:i:-) is currently the most commonly detected variant in Salmonella surveillance programs worldwide. In Colombia, the Salmonella enterica monophasic variant is the fourth most common clinical isolate recovered through the laboratory surveillance of the Grupo de Microbiología from the Instituto Nacional de Salud; however, it is unknown whether these isolates are closely related to the monophasic Typhimurium variant, which circulates globally, and their genetic and phenotypic characteristics have not been reported. Objective. To characterize monophasic Salmonella enterica isolates identified in Colombia from 2015 to 2018 by the Instituto Nacional de Salud. Materials and methods. Two hundred eighty-six clinical isolates of the monophasic Salmonella enterica variant were analyzed by PCR or whole-genome sequencing to confirm whether they corresponded to the Salmonella Typhimurium monophasic variant while the genetic structure of the operon encoding the second flagellar phase was determined in 54 isolates. Motility, growth, and expression of the outer membrane proteins were evaluated in 23 isolates. Results. During the study period in Colombia, 61% (n=174) of Salmonella monophasic isolates belonged to Salmonella Typhimurium serovar monophasic (1,4,[5],12:i-). Of these, 64.8% (n=35/54) were related to the European/Spanish clone and 13% (n=7/54) to the U.S. clone. Two isolates recovered from urine samples showed differences in motility, growth, and the absence of the OmpD porin in M9 minimal medium. Conclusions. Most of the monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium variants that have circulated in Colombia since 2015 lacked the second phase of operon fljAB, which is related to the European/Spanish clone. The results evidenced phenotypic changes in urine samples suggesting bacterial adaptation in the case of these invasive samples.

Salmonella Typhimurium Lacking YjeK as a Candidate Live Attenuated Vaccine Against Invasive Salmonella Infection

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) causes gastrointestinal infection, which is commonly self-limiting in healthy humans but may lead to invasive infection at extraintestinal sites, leading to bacteremia and focal systemic infections in the immunocompromised. However, a prophylactic vaccine against invasive NTS has not yet been developed. In this work, we explored the potential of a ΔyjeK mutant strain as a live attenuated vaccine against invasive NTS infection. YjeK in combination with YjeA is required for the post-translational modification of elongation factor P (EF-P), which is critical for bacterial protein synthesis. Therefore, malfunction of YjeK and YjeA-mediated EF-P activation might extensively influence protein expression during Salmonella infection. Salmonella lacking YjeK showed substantial alterations in bacterial motility, antibiotics resistance, and virulence. Interestingly, deletion of the yjeK gene increased the expression levels of Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-1 genes but decreased the transcription levels of SPI-2 genes, thereby influencing bacterial invasion and survival abilities in contact with host cells. In a mouse model, the ΔyjeK mutant strain alleviated the levels of splenomegaly and bacterial burdens in the spleen and liver in comparison with the wild-type strain. However, mice immunized with the ΔyjeK mutant displayed increased Th1- and Th2-mediated immune responses at 28 days post-infection, promoting cytokines and antibodies production. Notably, the Th2-associated antibody response was highly induced by administration of the ΔyjeK mutant strain. Consequently, vaccination with the ΔyjeK mutant strain protected 100% of the mice against challenge with lethal invasive Salmonella and significantly relieved bacterial burdens in the organs. Collectively, these results suggest that the ΔyjeK mutant strain can be exploited as a promising live attenuated NTS vaccine.

Differential Effects of Drinking Water Quality on Phagocyte Responses of Broiler Chickens Against Fungal and Bacterial Challenges

Combinatorial effects of xenobiotics in water on health may occur even at levels within current acceptable guidelines for individual chemicals. Herein, we took advantage of the sensitivity of the immune system and an avian animal model to examine the impact of xenobiotic mixtures on animal health. Water was derived from an underground well in Alberta, Canada and met guidelines for consumption, but contained a number of contaminants. Changes to chicken immunity were evaluated following acute (7d) exposure to contaminated water under basal and immune challenged conditions. An increase in resident macrophages and a decrease in CD8+ lymphocytes were identified in the abdominal cavity, which served as a relevant site where immune leukocytes could be examined. Subsequent intra-abdominal immune stimulation detected differential in vivo acute inflammatory responses to fungal and bacterial challenges. Leukocyte recruitment into the challenge site and activation of phagocyte antimicrobial responses were affected. These functional responses paralleled molecular changes in the expression for pro-inflammatory and regulatory genes. In all, this study primarily highlights dysregulation of phagocyte responses following acute (7d) exposure of poultry to contaminated water. Given that production food animals hold a unique position at the interface of animal, environmental and human health, this emphasizes the need to consider the impact of xenobiotic mixtures in our assessments of water quality.

Salmonella enterica Elicits and Is Restricted by Nitric Oxide and Reactive Oxygen Species on Tomato

The enteric pathogen Salmonella enterica can interact with parts of the plant immune system despite not being a phytopathogen. Previous transcriptomic profiling of S. enterica associating with tomato suggested that Salmonella was responding to oxidative and nitrosative stress in the plant niche. We aimed to investigate whether Salmonella was eliciting generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), two components of the microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP)-triggered immunity (MTI) of plants. We also sought to determine whether this interaction had any measurable effects on Salmonella colonization of plants. Biochemical, gene expression and on-plant challenge assays of tomato vegetative and fruit organs were conducted to assess the elicitation of ROS and NO in response to Salmonella Newport association. The counter bacterial response and the effect of NO and ROS on Salmonella colonization was also investigated. We detected H₂O₂ in leaves and fruit following challenge with live S. Newport (p < 0.05). Conversely, NO was detected on leaves but not on fruit in response to S. Newport (p < 0.05). We found no evidence of plant defense attenuation by live S. Newport. Bacterial gene expression of S. Newport associating with leaves and fruit were indicative of adaptation to biotic stress in the plant niche. The nitrosative stress response genes hmpA and yoaG were significantly up-regulated in S. Newport on leaves and fruit tissue compared to tissue scavenged of NO or ROS (p < 0.05). Chemical modulation of these molecules in the plant had a restrictive effect on bacterial populations. Significantly higher S. Newport titers were retrieved from H₂O₂ scavenged leaves and fruit surfaces compared to controls (p < 0.05). Similarly, S. Newport counts recovered from NO-scavenged leaves, but not fruit, were higher compared to control (p < 0.05), and significantly lower on leaves pre-elicited to produce endogenous NO. We present evidence of Salmonella elicitation of ROS and NO in tomato, which appear to have a restricting effect on the pathogen. Moreover, bacterial recognition of ROS and NO stress was detected. This work shows that tomato has mechanisms to restrict Salmonella populations and ROS and NO detoxification may play an important role in Salmonella adaptation to the plant niche.

The Transcription Factor ArcA Modulates Salmonella's Metabolism in Response to Neutrophil Hypochlorous Acid-Mediated Stress

Salmonella Typhimurium, a bacterial pathogen with high metabolic plasticity, can adapt to different environmental conditions; these traits enhance its virulence by enabling bacterial survival. Neutrophils play important roles in the innate immune response, including the production of microbicidal reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, the myeloperoxidase in neutrophils catalyzes the formation of hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a highly toxic molecule that reacts with essential biomolecules, causing oxidative damage including lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation. The bacterial response regulator ArcA regulates adaptive responses to oxygen levels and influences the survival of Salmonella inside phagocytic cells. Here, we demonstrate by whole transcriptomic analyses that ArcA regulates genes related to various metabolic pathways, enabling bacterial survival during HOCl-stress in vitro. Also, inside neutrophils, ArcA controls the transcription of several metabolic pathways by downregulating the expression of genes related to fatty acid degradation, lysine degradation, and arginine, proline, pyruvate, and propanoate metabolism. ArcA also upregulates genes encoding components of the oxidative pathway. These results underscore the importance of ArcA in ATP generation inside the neutrophil phagosome and its participation in bacterial metabolic adaptations during HOCl stress.

Cysteine auxotrophy drives reduced susceptibility to quinolones and paraquat by inducing the expression of efflux-pump systems and detoxifying enzymes in S. Typhimurium

Currently, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), is a major global public health problem, which has caused food-borne illnesses in many countries. Today, with the extensive use of antimicrobials, antimicrobial resistance is increasing at a serious rate in S. Typhimurium isolates. The present study sought the role of cysteine (Cys) auxotrophy on the resistance to quinolones and paraquat in S. Typhimurium. Cys auxotrophy was achieved by deleting either the cysDNC, cysJIH or cysQ loci. Deletion of these loci resulted in loss of susceptibility against nalidixic acid, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and paraquat. Further studies with cysJIH mutant indicated increased expression of multi-antibiotic resistance genes marA and ramA, and consequently increased expression of efflux-pump systems. The cysJIH mutant presented a smaller increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in presence of paraquat or CIP. Expression of katG and sodA (expressing for a catalase and a superoxide dismutase, respectively) genes was increased in presence of paraquat in the cysJIH mutant; while expression of the superoxide dismutase gene sodB was decreased. These results indicate that deletion of cysDNC, cysJIH or cysQ genes of S. Typhimurium renders Cys auxotrophy along with decreased susceptibility in response to quinolone and paraquat. Overexpression of efflux-pump systems AcrB-TolC and SmvA-OmpD and antioxidant enzymes KatG and SodA could explain the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in the Cys auxotrophic mutants.

Characterization of stm3030 and stm3031 genes of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in relation to cephalosporin resistance

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The outer membrane protein STM3031 had been shown to confer Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium resistance to ceftriaxone. In this study, the STM3030 was increased in strain R200 and decreased in strain R200(Δstm3031). How stm3030 and stm3031 contributing to antibiotic resistance was investigated.

METHODS

The level of STM3030 protein in R200(Δstm3031) were compared between 01-4, R200, and R200(Δstm3031) by 2-DE analysis. The stm3030 gene deleted strain, R200(Δstm3030), was generated by the one-step inactivation chromosome gene method. The various antibiotic susceptibility of strains 01-4, R200, R200(Δstm3031) and R200(Δstm3030) were determined by agar dilutions assays and E-test. The co-transcription of stm3031 and stm3030 were determined by RT-PCR. The promoter activities of these two genes fused with LacZ were determined. The binding of the regulatory protein BaeR on the promoter of both genes was detected by EMSA. The interaction between STM3030 and STM3031 proteins was determined by GST pull-down assay.

RESULTS

Strain R200(Δstm3030) displayed a 32- to 64-fold reduction in resistance to cephalosporin drugs. Transcription analyses revealed that stm3030 and stm3031 are independent genes and that the promoter of stm3030 is stronger than that of stm3031. The regulator BaeR binds to the promoter region of stm3031 but not that of stm3030. The STM3031 decreased in R200(Δstm3030) compared to R200 by western blot analysis. The pull-down assay revealed that STM3030 and STM3031 bind to each other.

CONCLUSION

Our data indicate that STM3030 has a chaperone-like activity and may modulate or stabilize STM3031, leading to resistance of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium to cephalosporin drugs.

Inhibition of Salmonella Typhimurium adhesion, invasion, and intracellular survival via treatment with methyl gallate alone and in combination with marbofloxacin

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infects intestinal epithelia and macrophages, which is prevented by inhibiting adhesion and cell invasion. This study aimed to investigate the role of methyl gallate (MG) in adhesion, invasion, and intracellular survival of Salmonella Typhimurium in Caco-2 and RAW 264.7 cells via a gentamicin protection assay, confocal microscopy, and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. MG (30 µg/mL) inhibited adhesion and invasion of Salmonella Typhimurium by 54.01% and 60.5% in RAW 264.7 cells, respectively. The combination of MG with sub-minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of marbofloxacin (MRB) inhibited the adhesion, invasion, and intracellular survival by 70.49%, 67.36%, and 74%, respectively. Confocal microscopy further revealed reductions in bacterial count in Caco-2 cells treated with MG alone or with sub-MIC of MRB. Furthermore, MG alone or in combination with sub-MIC of MRB decreased the motility of Salmonella Typhimurium. Quorum sensing genes including sdiA, srgE, and rck were downregulated by 52.8%, 61.7%, and 22.2%, respectively. Moreover, rac-1 was downregulated by 56.9% and 71.9% for MG alone and combined with sub-MIC of MRB, respectively, in mammalian cells. Furthermore, MG downregulated virulence genes of Salmonella Typhimurium including cheY, ompD, sipB, lexA, and ompF by 59.6%, 60.2%, 20.5%, 31.4%, and 16.2%, respectively. Together, the present results indicate that MG alone or in combination with a sub-MIC of MRB effectively inhibited the adhesion, invasion, and intracellular survival of Salmonella Typhimurium in vitro by downregulating quorum sensing and virulence genes.

Pathogenicity-island-encoded regulatory RNAs regulate bacterial virulence and pathogenesis

Bacterial regulatory RNAs (regRNAs) have been widely studied for decades and shown to be involved in various aspects of bacterial survival, including their virulence and pathogenesis. Recently, many regRNAs have been found to be encoded within bacterial pathogenicity islands (PAIs). These PAI-encoded regRNAs also play important regulatory roles in bacterial virulence and pathogenesis. In this review, we introduce the reported PAI-encoded regRNAs individually, focusing on their types, target genes, regulatory roles, regulatory mechanisms and significance. We also summarize the virulence and pathogenesis of the pathogens concerned.

The ArcAB two-component regulatory system promotes resistance to reactive oxygen species and systemic infection by Salmonella Typhimurium

Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is an intracellular bacterium that overcomes host immune system barriers for successful infection. The bacterium colonizes the proximal small intestine, penetrates the epithelial layer, and is engulfed by macrophages and neutrophils. Intracellularly, S. Typhimurium encounters highly toxic reactive oxygen species including hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid. The molecular mechanisms of Salmonella resistance to intracellular oxidative stress is not completely understood. The ArcAB two-component system is a global regulatory system that responds to oxygen. In this work, we show that the ArcA response regulator participates in Salmonella adaptation to changing oxygen levels and is also involved in promoting intracellular survival in macrophages and neutrophils, enabling S. Typhimurium to successfully establish a systemic infection.

Recombinant Salmonella typhimurium outer membrane protein A is recognized by synovial fluid CD8 cells and stimulates synovial fluid mononuclear cells to produce interleukin (IL)-17/IL-23 in patients with reactive arthritis and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy

In developing countries, one-third of patients with reactive arthritis (ReA) and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy (uSpA) are triggered by Salmonella typhimurium. Synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMCs) of patients with ReA and uSpA proliferate to low molecular weight fractions (lmwf) of outer membrane proteins (Omp) of S. typhimurium. To characterize further the immunity of Omp of Salmonella, cellular immune response to two recombinant proteins of lmwf, OmpA and OmpD of S. typhimurium (rOmpA/D-sal) was assessed in 30 patients with ReA/uSpA. Using flow cytometry, 17 of 30 patients' SF CD8(+) T cells showed significant intracellular interferon (IFN)-γ to Omp crude lysate of S. typhimurium. Of these 17, 11 showed significantly more CD8(+) CD69(+) IFN-γ T cells to rOmpA-sal, whereas only four showed reactivity to rOmpD-sal. The mean stimulation index was significantly greater in rOmpA-sal than rOmpD-sal [3·0 (1·5-6·5) versus 1·5 (1·0-2·75), P < 0·005]. Similarly, using enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) in these 17 patients, the mean spots of IFN-γ-producing SFMCs were significantly greater in rOmpA-sal than rOmpD-sal [44·9 (3·5-130·7) versus 19·25 (6-41), P < 0·05]. SFMCs stimulated by rOmpA-sal produced significantly more proinflammatory cytokines than rOmpD-sal: IFN-γ [1·44 (0·39-20·42) versus 0·72 (0·048-9·15) ng/ml, P < 0·05], interleukin (IL)-17 [28·60 (6·15-510·86) versus 11·84 (6·83-252·62) pg/ml, P < 0·05], IL-23 [70·19 (15-1161·16) versus 28·25 (> 15-241·52) pg/ml, P < 0·05] and IL-6 [59·78 (2·03-273·36) versus 10·17 (0·004-190·19) ng/ml, P < 0·05]. The rOmpA-sal-specific CD8(+) T cell response correlated with duration of current synovitis (r = 0·53, P < 0·05). Thus, OmpA of S. typhimurium is a target of SF CD8(+) T cells and drives SFMC to produce increased cytokines of the IL-17/IL-23 axis which contribute to the pathogenesis of Salmonella-triggered ReA.