Main Menu (Mobile)- Block
- Overview
-
Support Teams
- Overview
- Anatomy and Histology
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy
- Electron Microscopy
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Targeting and Transgenics
- Immortalized Cell Line Culture
- Integrative Imaging
- Invertebrate Shared Resource
- Janelia Experimental Technology
- Mass Spectrometry
- Media Prep
- Molecular Genomics
- Primary & iPS Cell Culture
- Project Pipeline Support
- Project Technical Resources
- Quantitative Genomics
- Scientific Computing Software
- Scientific Computing Systems
- Viral Tools
- Vivarium
- Open Science
- You + Janelia
- About Us
Main Menu - Block
- Overview
- Anatomy and Histology
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy
- Electron Microscopy
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Targeting and Transgenics
- Immortalized Cell Line Culture
- Integrative Imaging
- Invertebrate Shared Resource
- Janelia Experimental Technology
- Mass Spectrometry
- Media Prep
- Molecular Genomics
- Primary & iPS Cell Culture
- Project Pipeline Support
- Project Technical Resources
- Quantitative Genomics
- Scientific Computing Software
- Scientific Computing Systems
- Viral Tools
- Vivarium

Abstract
Summary Solute carrier family 11 member 1 (SLC11A1) is critical for host resistance to diverse intracellular pathogens. During infection, SLC11A1 limits Salmonella’s access to iron, zinc, and magnesium, but only magnesium deprivation significantly impairs Salmonella replication. To understand the unexpected minor impact of iron, we determined Salmonella’s iron access in infected SLC11A1-deficient and normal mice. Using reporter strains and mass spectrometry of Salmonella purified from the spleen, we found that SLC11A1 caused growth-restricting iron deprivation in a subset of Salmonella. Volume electron microscopy revealed that another Salmonella subset circumvented iron restriction by targeting iron-rich endosomes in macrophages degrading red blood cells (erythrophagocytosis). These iron-replete bacteria dominated overall Salmonella growth, masking the effects of the other Salmonella subset’s iron deprivation. Thus, SLC11A1 effectively sequesters iron, but heterogeneous Salmonella populations partially bypass this nutritional immunity by targeting iron-rich tissue microenvironments.