Fig. 3: Hexoses provide the basis for Salmonella colonization.

a The competitive experiment was performed in streptomycin-pretreated C57BL/6J mice, lasting 4 days post-infection, comparing the SL1344 wild type with a ptsG mutant (mice n = 6, two independent experiments). b Single infections of streptomycin-pretreated C57BL/6J mice were performed with SL1344 wild type (n = 8), ΔmanA (n = 6), ΔmanA ΔfruK (n = 6), ΔmanA ΔfruK ΔgalK (n = 7), ΔmanA ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG quadruple mutant (n = 7), and an avirulent quadruple mutant (ΔinvG ΔssaV, n = 5). Bacterial loads (CFUs/g feces or cecal content (cc)) were recorded for days 1–4 post-infection. c Competitive experiments were conducted in C57BL/6J mice associated with OligoMM¹² microbiota, involving ΔmanA (n = 5), ΔmanA ΔfruK (n = 5), ΔmanA ΔfruK ΔgalK (n = 6), and ΔmanA ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG quadruple mutant (n = 7). These mutants were co-infected with the SL1344 wild type, with data collected from at least two independent experiments. d Single infections in OligoMM¹²-associated mice (wild type, n = 12; ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG, n = 11; ΔmanA ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG, n = 10) recorded CFUs/g feces or cecal content. e Lipocalin−2 ELISA assessed gut inflammation in OligoMM¹²-associated mice (wild type, n = 10; ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG, n = 9; ΔmanA ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG, n = 8). Inflammation was indicated at ≥500 ng lipocalin-2/g feces. f Histopathology scoring of cecum tissue at day 4 post-infection in OligoMM¹² mice (wild type, n = 10; ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG, n = 7; ΔmanA ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG, n = 9). g Representative microscopy images of cecum tissue show gut edema (black arrow) and gut lumen (orange arrow) in OligoMM¹² mice infected with SL1344 wild type, ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG, and ΔmanA ΔfruK ΔgalK ΔptsG mutants. Panels (a–e) are presented as box-and-whiskers plots that display the median, interquartile range (25th to 75th percentiles), minimum and maximum values, and individual data points. Panel (f) are presented as bar plots, showing the median with all data points displayed. For panels (a–f), P values were calculated using the two-tailed Mann–Whitney U-test: **** ≙ P < 0.0001; *** ≙ P < 0.0005; ** ≙ P < 0.005; * ≙ P < 0.05; ns ≙ P > 0.05. The source data for panels (a–g) are provided in the Source Data file.