Salmonella typhimurium activates virulence gene transcription within acidified macrophage phagosomes.

Survival of Salmonella typhimurium within macrophage phagosomes requires the coordinate expression of bacterial gene products. This report examines the contribution of phagosomal pH as a signal for expression of genes positively regulated by the S. typhimurium virulence regulators PhoP and PhoQ. Several hours after bacterial phagocytosis by murine bone marrow-derived macrophages, PhoP-activated gene transcription increased 50- to 77-fold. In contrast, no difference in PhoP-activated gene expression was observed after infection of cultured epithelial cells, suggesting that the membrane sensor PhoQ recognized signals unique to macrophage phagosomes. The increase in PhoP-regulated gene expression was abolished when macrophage culture medium contained NH4Cl or chloroquine, weak bases that raise the pH of acidic compartments. Measurements of pH documented that S. typhimurium delayed and attenuated acidification of its intracellular compartment. Phagosomes containing S. typhimurium required 4-5 hr to reach pH < 5.0. In contrast, within 1 hr vacuoles containing heat-killed bacteria were measured at pH < 4.5. The eventual acidification of phagosomes to pH < 5.0 correlated with the period of maximal PhoP-dependent gene expression. These observations implicate phagosome acidification as an intracellular inducer of PhoP-regulated gene expression and suggest that Salmonella survival is dependent on its ability to attenuate phagosome acidification.