Gut bacteria byproduct protects against Salmonella, study finds

Gut bacteria byproduct protects against Salmonella, study finds

  • Researchers have identified a molecule that serves as natural protection against one of the most common intestinal pathogens.

  • Propionate, a byproduct of metabolism by a group of bacteria called the Bacteroides, inhibits the growth of Salmonella in the intestinal tract of mice, according to the researchers.

*The finding may help to explain why some people are better able to fight infection by Salmonella and other intestinal pathogens and lead to the development of better treatment strategies.


Amanda Jacobson, Lilian Lam, Manohary Rajendram, Fiona Tamburini, Jared Honeycutt, Trung Pham, Will Van Treuren, Kali Pruss, Stephen Russell Stabler, Kyler Lugo, Donna M. Bouley, Jose G. Vilches-Moure, Mark Smith, Justin L. Sonnenburg, Ami S. Bhatt, Kerwyn Casey Huang, Denise Monack. A Gut Commensal-Produced Metabolite Mediates Colonization Resistance to Salmonella Infection. Cell Host & Microbe, 2018; DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.07.002