D-gluconate drives Salmonella growth during acute and chronic infection

Monosaccharides support Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium colonization of the gut, yet the role of their oxidized derivatives remains understudied. Sugar acids are largely diet-independent carbon sources generated by host-driven oxidative processes, but their contribution during infection - particularly that of less oxidized aldonic and uronic acids - has not been defined. Here, we systematically assess the role of sugar acids derived from D-glucose and D-galactose in S. Typhimurium SL1344 colonization. Among D-glucose-derived acids, D-gluconate accumulated to the highest levels and was the dominant substrate supporting luminal expansion in streptomycin-pretreated mice, exceeding the more oxidized acids D-glucuronate and D-glucarate. During chronic infection, D-glucose-derived sugar acids became increasingly important for pathogen persistence. Ecological niche invasion assays identified these compounds as a principal metabolic niche, whereas D-galactose-derived acids contributed minimally. Consistent with a transient, inflammation-linked nutrient niche, sugar acid utilization pathways were similarly prevalent in Escherichia coli from individuals with and without inflammatory bowel disease. Together, these findings identify D-gluconate as a key inflammation-dependent nutrient source that fuels Enterobacteriaceae expansion in the inflamed gut.