Infections with enteropathogenic Yersinia species: Paradigms of bacterial pathogenesis

Abstract

Bacteria that infect the body via mucosal surfaces typically display one or more of the following characteristics: (i) colonization and penetration of mucosal epithelia; (ii) evasion of host defences; (iii) multiplication in vivo, and (iv) production of tissue damage. The Gram-negative enteric pathogens, Yersinia enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, display all of these to some extent and thus serve as excellent models for the investigation and understanding of bacterial pathogenesis. Several virulence determinants of Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis have been identified and characterized. These factors act in concert at various stages of the infection to permit bacterial sur..