Systems biology approach to dissect Salmonella host interactions

Abstract

Systems understanding of the biological data is required to capture the complex biochemical information when a pathogen interacts with its host. Such interactions are dynamic and complex, especially because various components of the pathogen interact with the host at multiple levels. Understanding this complex data has been made somewhat feasible with the advent of systems biology. System biology involves studying the complex interactions which take place between genes, proteins, and other components in a biological network, compared to traditional biological research, where the focus is only on a small number of components. For instance, a systems biology study of host-pathogen interactions investigates the interaction between the components of two distinct organisms, a pathogen, and its animal host. The only way this is accomplished is through the integration and interpretation of the high-throughput data made available at various levels of detail. However, high-throughput techniques like sequencing and multi-omics not only generate a massive volume of data but also pose challenges to meaningfully extract and interpret the data. Salmonella sp. is a Gram-negative, intracellular pathogen and causes severe complications contributing significantly to the global burden of foodborne illnesses. Salmonella Typhi is a human-restricted pathogen that causes a systemic disease called Typhoid (enteric fever). On the other hand, Salmonella Typhimurium, a zoonotic pathogen, causes a less severe form of the disease called gastroenteritis in humans but a systemic typhoid-like disease in susceptible mice strains (typhoid model). The genomes of most organisms, including Salmonella, as they exist today are the result of millions of years of evolution - the acquisition or elimination of certain key genetic determinants, genomic rearrangements, and the insertion of novel genes into existing genetic circuitries. Reverse genetics has proven extremely useful in deciphering the function of such key genes and their protein products re...