Salmonella are food-borne pathogens that infect millions of people a year. To do so, these bacteria depend on a complex network of genes and gene products that allow them to sense environmental conditions. In a new paper, researchers have investigated the role of small RNAs that help Salmonella express their virulence genes.
The bacteria infect humans by first invading the cells of the intestine using a needle-like structure, called a type 3 secretion system. This structure injects proteins directly into the cells, setting off a cascade of changes that cause inflammation, and ultimately cause diarrhea. The genes that encode this system, and other genes that are needed for invasion, are found on a region of DNA known as the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1.
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