Interaction of Salmonella enterica with Bovine Epithelial Cells Demonstrates Serovar-Specific Association and Invasion Patterns

Dairy cows are known reservoirs of Salmonella enterica and human salmonellosis has been attributed to the consumption of contaminated dairy and beef products as well as poultry meat and eggs. Although many S. enterica serovars are known to colonize the gastrointestinal tract of cattle, the interactions between dairy commensal (or persistent) and transient Salmonella serovars with bovine epithelial cells are not well understood. Association-invasion assays were used to characterize the interactions of 26 S. enterica strains from bovine origins, comprising serovars Anatum, Cerro, Dublin, Give, Kentucky, Mbandaka, Meleagridis, Montevideo, Muenster, Newport, Oranienburg, Senftenberg, and Typhimurium, with cultured bovine epithelial cells. There were significant differences in the association with and invasion of bovine epithelial cells within and across Salmonella serovars (Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference test, p < 0.05). Salmonella enterica serovar Dublin strains were the most invasive, whereas Kentucky, Mbandaka, Cerro, and Give strains were the least invasive ( p < 0.05). Significant differences in motility on semisolid medium were also observed between strains from different serovars. Findings from this study demonstrate an underappreciated level of phenotypic diversity among Salmonella strains within and across serovars and serve as a baseline for future studies that may identify the molecular mechanisms of asymptomatic Salmonella carriage and bovine salmonellosis.