The Salmonella effectors SseF and SseG inhibit Rab1A-mediated autophagy to facilitate intracellular bacterial survival and replication

In mammalian cells, autophagy plays crucial roles in restricting further spread of invading bacterial pathogens. Previous studies have established that the Salmonella virulence factors SseF and SseG are required for intracellular bacterial survival and replication. However, the underlying mechanism by which these two effectors facilitate bacterial infection remains elusive. Here, we report that SseF and SseG secreted by Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) inhibit autophagy in host cells and thereby establish a replicative niche for the bacteria in the cytosol. Mechanistically, SseF and SseG impaired autophagy initiation by directly interacting with the small GTPase Rab1A in the host cell. This interaction abolished Rab1A activation by disrupting the interaction with its guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), the TRAPPIII (transport protein particle III) complex. This disruption of Rab1A signaling blocked the recruitment and activation of Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 (ULK1) and decreased phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate biogenesis, which ultimately impeded autophagosome formation. Furthermore, SseF- or SseG-deficient bacterial strains exhibited reduced survival and growth in both mammalian cell lines and mouse infection models, and Rab1A depletion could rescue these defects. These results reveal that virulence factor-dependent inactivation of the small GTPase Rab1A represents a previously unrecognized strategy of S. Typhimurium to evade autophagy and the host defense system.