Salmonella enterica exhibits a tremendous ability to colonize, survive and replicate in diverse environments and distantly related hosts, leading to a wide range of outcomes. Some hosts have proven to be susceptible to infection with Salmonella and develop disease (salmonellosis in humans), others serve as asymptomatic carriers. Moreover, the presence of this bacterium in a particular habitat may re-shape the resident microbial community structure. Adaptation strategies of this versatile microbe have been investigated mainly in mammalian models, as the most studied serotypes are human pathogens. However, a multitude of S. enterica serovars are also able to colonize alternative environments and hosts, including plants, non-mammalian animals and unicellular eukaryotes. Whether these associations are opportunistic or a result of evolutionary pressure, conferring enhanced probabilities of survival by leaping from niche to niche with the eventuality of re-entering a mammalian host, remains unclear. The notion that Salmonella is primarily a mammalian pathogen may, in itself be a human-centric idea. The pathogenic lifestyle could represent just one of its many capabilities.
Salmonella possesses versatile, adaptive and highly efficient mechanisms to cope with very diverse situations. The sequence of events that occur during mammalian infection have been well described. Studies assessing association with other hosts, including plants, have drawn some similarities between mammalian infection and alternative host association. However, several divergent genetic mechanisms, sometimes contradictory to each other possibly as a result of host diversity, have also been reported. These include, for example, T3SS, effectors, flagellar synthesis and metabolic pathways. Therefore, new advances in understanding persistence strategies of Salmonella and other pathogenic microbes in unusual hosts and diverse environments are important in order to prevent infectious diseases. Clarifying as yet unknown strategies or new functions for known genetic regulatory networks, and highlighting any differences in response to a variety of host niches, are some of the challenges in the coming years. This Research Topic aims to gather a comprehensive view of the diverse strategies used by enteric bacteria and present to the readers an updated picture in this quickly evolving subject.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research manuscripts, Opinions as well as Technical Advances and Review articles that provide new insights into the ecology and molecular mechanisms used by Salmonella enterica and other pathogenic bacteria to adapt and persist in non-canonical environments and hosts.
In particular, but not limited to, this Research Topic welcomes contribution focusing on:
1. Studies on adaptation of Salmonella to plant as an alternative host.
2. Studies on persistence of Salmonella in agricultural production systems.
3. Studies on interactions between Salmonella and other microorganisms.
4. Studies on similarities and differences between the mechanisms of enteric bacteria used in mammals and other hosts.
5. Studies on enteric bacterial adaptation to soil, water and other environmental niches.
Salmonella enterica exhibits a tremendous ability to colonize, survive and replicate in diverse environments and distantly related hosts, leading to a wide range of outcomes. Some hosts have proven to be susceptible to infection with Salmonella and develop disease (salmonellosis in humans), others serve as asymptomatic carriers. Moreover, the presence of this bacterium in a particular habitat may re-shape the resident microbial community structure. Adaptation strategies of this versatile microbe have been investigated mainly in mammalian models, as the most studied serotypes are human pathogens. However, a multitude of S. enterica serovars are also able to colonize alternative environments and hosts, including plants, non-mammalian animals and unicellular eukaryotes. Whether these associations are opportunistic or a result of evolutionary pressure, conferring enhanced probabilities of survival by leaping from niche to niche with the eventuality of re-entering a mammalian host, remains unclear. The notion that Salmonella is primarily a mammalian pathogen may, in itself be a human-centric idea. The pathogenic lifestyle could represent just one of its many capabilities.
Salmonella possesses versatile, adaptive and highly efficient mechanisms to cope with very diverse situations. The sequence of events that occur during mammalian infection have been well described. Studies assessing association with other hosts, including plants, have drawn some similarities between mammalian infection and alternative host association. However, several divergent genetic mechanisms, sometimes contradictory to each other possibly as a result of host diversity, have also been reported. These include, for example, T3SS, effectors, flagellar synthesis and metabolic pathways. Therefore, new advances in understanding persistence strategies of Salmonella and other pathogenic microbes in unusual hosts and diverse environments are important in order to prevent infectious diseases. Clarifying as yet unknown strategies or new functions for known genetic regulatory networks, and highlighting any differences in response to a variety of host niches, are some of the challenges in the coming years. This Research Topic aims to gather a comprehensive view of the diverse strategies used by enteric bacteria and present to the readers an updated picture in this quickly evolving subject.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research manuscripts, Opinions as well as Technical Advances and Review articles that provide new insights into the ecology and molecular mechanisms used by Salmonella enterica and other pathogenic bacteria to adapt and persist in non-canonical environments and hosts.
In particular, but not limited to, this Research Topic welcomes contribution focusing on:
1. Studies on adaptation of Salmonella to plant as an alternative host.
2. Studies on persistence of Salmonella in agricultural production systems.
3. Studies on interactions between Salmonella and other microorganisms.
4. Studies on similarities and differences between the mechanisms of enteric bacteria used in mammals and other hosts.
5. Studies on enteric bacterial adaptation to soil, water and other environmental niches.
