Model of Yersinia enterocolitica infection in mice

The complex interplay of a pathogen with its virulence and fitness factors, the host immune re-sponse, and the endogenous microbiome determine the course and outcome of gastrointestinal infection. Expansion of a pathogen within the gastrointestinal tract implies an increased risk of developing severe systemic infections, especially in dysbiotic or immunocompromised indi-viduals. To better explain the bacterial population dynamics during gastrointestinal infection, we developed a mechanistic computational model that calculates and simulates such scenarios based on an ordinary differential equation system. For implementing the model and estimating its parameters, oral mouse infection experiments with the enteropathogen Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye) were carried out. Our model accounts for specific pathogen characteristics and is intended to reflect scenarios where colonization resistance mediated by the endogenous microbiome is lacking or where the immune response is partially impaired. Fitting our data from experimental mouse infections, we can justify our model setup and deduce cues for further model improve-ment. The model is freely available in SBML format from the BioModels Database under acces-sion number MODEL2002070001.