Survival of the Fittest: How Bacterial Pathogens Utilize Bile To Enhance Infection

What is it about?

Bacterial pathogens that infect the gastrointestinal tract must overcome harsh environmental conditions in order to successfully establish infection. Bile is one of the more constant exposures encountered in the small intestine. Bile normally kills many types of bacteria; however, gastrointestinal pathogens have evolved to resist bile and utilize this host signal to regulate virulence factor expression. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of bile-related research in enteric pathogens.

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Why is it important?

The ability to resist bile can have important implications in the development of antimicrobial resistance as many pathogens utilize similar resistance strategies to survive in the presence of bile and antibiotics. Furthermore, the regulation of virulence factor expression in response to bile enables pathogens to prepare for an optimal infection strategy. Understanding bile-regulated virulence will have important implications in vaccine and therapeutic development.