Yersinia enterocolitica Infection in Mice: A Possible Experimental Model for the Immunobiology of Gram-Negative Infections

Abstract

Yersinia enterocolitica is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family which causes foodborne diseases designated yersiniosis. Both intestinal (e.g., enteritis, enterocolitis, mesenteric lymphadenitis) and extraintestinal (e.g., reactive arthritis, uveitis, erythema nodosum) manifestations can be associated with infection by Y. enterocolitica [1]. Moreover, septicemic yersiniosis including abscesses in multiple organs such as the spleen and liver can occur, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The virulence of Y. enterocolitica is controlled by chromosomal and extrachromosomal determinants [2, 3]. All human pathogenic yersiniae harbor a virulence plasmid which encodes for several putative virulence factors (e.g., outer membrane proteins and released proteins). These factors mediate pathogenic functions such as resistance to phagocytosis and complement lysis, cytotoxicity, and tyrosine phosphatase activity which can dephosphorylate host proteins [3].