<i>Salmonella spp</i>. quorum sensing: an overview from environmental persistence to host cell invasion

Abstract

<abstract> <italic>Salmonella</italic> spp. is one of the main foodborne pathogens around the world. It has a cyclic lifestyle that combines host colonization with survival outside the host, implying that <italic>Salmonella</italic> has to adapt to different conditions rapidly in order to survive. One of these environments outside the host is the food production chain. In this environment, this foodborne pathogen has to adapt to different stress conditions such as acidic environments, nutrient limitation, desiccation, or biocides. One of the mechanisms used by <italic>Salmonella</italic> to survive under such conditions is biofilm formation. Quorum sensing plays an important role in the production of biofilms composed of cells from the same microorganism or from different species. It is also important in terms of food spoilage and regulates the pathogenicity and invasiveness of <italic>Salmonella</italic> by regulating <italic>Salmonella</italic> pathogenicity islands and flagella. Therefore, in this review, we will discuss the genetic mechanism involved in <italic>Salmonella</italic> quorum sensing, paying special attention to small RNAs and their post-regulatory activity in quorum sensing. We will further discuss the importance of this cell-to-cell communication mechanism in the persistence and spoilage of <italic>Salmonella</italic> in the food chain environment and the importance in the communication with microorganisms from different species. Subsequently, we will focus on the role of quorum sensing to regulate the virulence and invasion of host cells by <italic>Salmonella</italic> and on the interaction between <italic>Salmonella</italic> and other microbial species. This review offers an overview of the importance of quorum sensing in the <italic>Salmonella</italic> lifestyle. </abstract>

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