Biomedical subjects

Christopher Schubert

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher Schubert.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2025

The Gfr Uptake System Provides a Context-Dependent Fitness Advantage to Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 During the Initial Gut Colonization Phase.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Tm) is a major cause of foodborne diarrhea. However, in healthy individuals, the microbiota typically restricts the growth of incoming pathogens, a protective mechanism termed colonization resistance (CR). To circumvent CR, Salmonella strains can utilize private nutrients that remain untapped by the resident microbiota. However, the metabolic pathways and environmental niches promoting pathogen growth are still not completely understood. Here, we investigate the significance of the gfr operon in gut colonization of S. Tm, which is essential for the utilization of fructoselysine (FL) and glucoselysine (GL). These Amadori compounds are present in heated foods with high protein and carbohydrate contents. We detected FL in both mouse chow and the intestinal tract of mice and showed that gfr mutants are attenuated during the initial phase of colonization in the murine model. Experiments in gnotobiotic mice and competition experiments with Escherichia coli suggest that gfr-dependent fitness advantage is context-dependent. We conclude that dietary Amadori products like FL can support S. Tm gut colonization, depending on the metabolic capacities of the microbiota.

Salmonella typhimurium↗

PubMed2025

Identification of gene targets regulated by the IclR-like regulator SL1344_3500 in Salmonella Typhimurium.

Transcriptional regulation of metabolic operons is important for optimal carbohydrate use and for mitigating the accumulation of toxic intermediates. Here, we characterize SL1344_3500, encoding a putative IclR-like regulator in Salmonella enterica Typhimurium. We present genetic and transcriptional evidence that it regulates the expression of two neighboring operons, one designated here as xynABC, enables utilization of xylonate as a sole carbon source. Furthermore, our findings indicate that SL1344_3500 is important for luminal growth in several mouse models, exerting its effects through the suppression of the xynABC operon. Based on the observation that the ΔSL1344_3500 deletion can be stably complemented in vivo, we developed a plasmid stabilization strategy. This gene complementation approach shows promise for generating stable gene reporters for long-term colonization experiments.IMPORTANCEUnderstanding transcriptional regulation in Salmonella enterica Typhimurium is crucial for revealing how enteric pathogens optimize metabolism to compete with commensals in the gut. SL1344_3500, an IclR-like transcriptional regulator controlling genes linked to sugar acid metabolism, is essential for luminal growth in mouse models through gene suppression and represents a potential target for antimicrobial development. Based on these observations, we developed stable reporter plasmids that use gene complementation of SL1344_3500 to prevent plasmid loss during long-term in vivo studies.

Salmonella typhimurium↗

PubMed2024

Salmonella Typhimurium screen identifies shifts in mixed-acid fermentation during gut colonization.

How enteric pathogens adapt their metabolism to a dynamic gut environment is not yet fully understood. To investigate how Salmonella enterica Typhimurium (S.Tm) colonizes the gut, we conducted an in vivo transposon mutagenesis screen in a gnotobiotic mouse model. Our data implicate mixed-acid fermentation in efficient gut-luminal growth and energy conservation throughout infection. During initial growth, the pathogen utilizes acetate fermentation and fumarate respiration. After the onset of gut inflammation, hexoses appear to become limiting, as indicated by carbohydrate analytics and the increased need for gluconeogenesis. In response, S.Tm adapts by ramping up ethanol fermentation for redox balancing and supplying the TCA cycle with α-ketoglutarate for additional energy. Our findings illustrate how S.Tm flexibly adapts mixed fermentation and its use of the TCA cycle to thrive in the changing gut environment. Similar metabolic wiring in other pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae may suggest a broadly conserved mechanism for gut colonization.

Animals↗