{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T12:10:07Z","timestamp":1788869407544,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788825600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigated the adaptive mechanisms of Shigella sonnei ATCC25931 in response to gamma irradiation stress (0.5 and 1 kGy), with a specific focus on the involvement of fatty acids (FAs) in membrane lipid composition remodeling, adherence, and extracellular proteins. The results demonstrated a notable enhancement in cell hydrophobicity and adherence to KB cells following irradiation, although the invasion rate exhibited a decline from 14% to 2.35% at 1 kGy. Furthermore, gamma irradiation induced notable alterations in fatty acid (FA) composition, characterized by a pronounced reduction in the unsaturated\/saturated FA ratio. Additionally, the plasmid profiles revealed the loss of several original plasmids after gamma irradiation. The alterations in extracellular proteins were observed through SDS-PAGE, which demonstrated a reduction in expression at 1 kGy. Furthermore, a molecular docking analysis indicated that fatty acids play a role in inhibiting VirF, a key regulator of Shigella virulence. The least effective inhibitor was capric acid, while linoleic and gamma-linolenic acids formed the most stable inhibitory complexes, which prevented VirF from activating the virulence system. These alterations in fatty acids, plasmids, and extracellular proteins constitute adaptive responses to irradiation-induced stress.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms14091986","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T11:23:51Z","timestamp":1788866631000},"page":"1986","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Gamma Irradiation Effects on Fatty Acid Profiles, Adhesion, Plasmid Stability, and Secreted Proteins in Shigella: In Silico Insights into Post-Irradiation Virulence"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3786-2619","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ali","family":"Ellafi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Analysis, Treatment and Valorization of the Pollutants of the Environment and Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Street Avicenne, Monastir 5000, Tunisia"},{"name":"Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, University of Gafsa, University Campus Sidi Ahmed Zarroug, Gafsa 2112, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4080-9528","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Najla","family":"Haddaji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Analysis, Treatment and Valorization of the Pollutants of the Environment and Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Street Avicenne, Monastir 5000, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Mabrouk","family":"Horchani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Heterocyclic Chemistry, Natural Products and Reactivity, Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products (LR11ES39), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science of Monastir, University of Monastir, Avenue of Environment, Monastir 5019, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6052-6528","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karima","family":"Bekir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Analysis, Treatment and Valorization of the Pollutants of the Environment and Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Street Avicenne, Monastir 5000, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Rihab","family":"Lagha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit UR17ES30: Virology and Antiviral Strategies, Higher Institute of Biotechnology, University of Monastir, Monastir 5000, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Amina","family":"Bakhrouf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Analysis, Treatment and Valorization of the Pollutants of the Environment and Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Street Avicenne, Monastir 5000, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1884-4821","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eduardo Alberto","family":"L\u00f3pez-Maldonado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Autonomous University of Baja California, Tijuana CP 22390, Baja California, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3765-991X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sonia","family":"Ben Younes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Population Health, Environmental Aggressors and Alternative Therapies (LR24ES10), Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, University of Tunis-El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104342","DOI":"10.1016\/j.micpath.2020.104342","article-title":"Gamma irradiation triggers a global stress response in Escherichia coli O157:H7 including base and nucleotides excision repair pathways","volume":"149","author":"Gaougaou","year":"2020","journal-title":"Microb. 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