CLINICAL ISOLATES OF SHIGELLA SPECIES INDUCE APOPTOSIS IN MACROPHAGES

Shigella species are invasive enterobacteria that cause dysentery, a s evere form of diarrhea. The ability to invade epithelial cells and to kill macrophages is essential for virulence in a prototype Shigella fl exneri strain. It is shown here that clinical isolates of both S. flex neri and Shigella sonnei invade epithelial cells and are cytotoxic to macrophages in vitro. Furthermore, clinical Shigella strains kill macr ophages by inducing apoptosis. The conservation of the ability to indu ce macrophage apoptosis by clinical isolates suggests that this functi on plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Shigella species.