Antimicrobial Actions of Reactive Oxygen Species

Abstract

ABSTRACT Everything should be as simple as it can be, but not simpler.—Attributed to Albert Einstein (1) IMPORTANCE Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced by host phagocytes and exert antimicrobial actions against a broad range of pathogens. The observable antimicrobial actions of ROS are highly dependent on experimental conditions. This perspective reviews recent controversies regarding ROS in Salmonella-phagocyte interactions and attempts to reconcile conflicting observations from different laboratories.