Transcriptional Sequencing Uncovers Survival Mechanisms of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis in Antibacterial Egg White

Abstract

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is a major foodborne pathogen that causes salmonellosis mainly through contaminated chicken eggs or egg products and has been a worldwide public health threat since 1980. Frequent outbreaks of this serotype through eggs correlate significantly with its exceptional survival ability in the antibacterial egg white. Research on the survival mechanism of S. Enteritidis in egg white will help to further understand the complex and highly effective antibacterial mechanisms of egg white and lay the foundation for the development of safe and effective vaccines to prevent egg contamination by this Salmonella serotype. Key pathways and genes that were previously overlooked under bactericidal conditions were characterized as being induced in egg white, and synergistic effects between different antimicrobial factors appear to exist according to the gene expression changes. Our work provides new insights into the survival mechanism of S. Enteritidis in egg white.