Bile Exposure Helps Shigella’s Passage through Small Intestine

Exposure to bile in the upper small intestine (jejumum) facilitates changes in Shigella gene expression and biofilm formation. Reabsorption of bile in the lower small intestine (ileum) disperses the biofilm, triggering the release of hyper-virulent bacteria into the colon
Image/Christina S. Faherty, PhD, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital