scholarly journals An integrated model system to gain mechanistic insights into biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa MPAO1

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adithi R. Varadarajan ◽  
Raymond N. Allan ◽  
Jules D. P. Valentin ◽  
Olga E. Castañeda Ocampo ◽  
Vincent Somerville ◽  
...  

Abstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa MPAO1 is the parental strain of the widely utilized transposon mutant collection for this important clinical pathogen. Here, we validate a model system to identify genes involved in biofilm growth and biofilm-associated antibiotic resistance. Our model employs a genomics-driven workflow to assemble the complete MPAO1 genome, identify unique and conserved genes by comparative genomics with the PAO1 reference strain and genes missed within existing assemblies by proteogenomics. Among over 200 unique MPAO1 genes, we identified six general essential genes that were overlooked when mapping public Tn-seq data sets against PAO1, including an antitoxin. Genomic data were integrated with phenotypic data from an experimental workflow using a user-friendly, soft lithography-based microfluidic flow chamber for biofilm growth and a screen with the Tn-mutant library in microtiter plates. The screen identified hitherto unknown genes involved in biofilm growth and antibiotic resistance. Experiments conducted with the flow chamber across three laboratories delivered reproducible data on P. aeruginosa biofilms and validated the function of both known genes and genes identified in the Tn-mutant screens. Differential protein abundance data from planktonic cells versus biofilm confirmed the upregulation of candidates known to affect biofilm formation, of structural and secreted proteins of type VI secretion systems, and provided proteogenomic evidence for some missed MPAO1 genes. This integrated, broadly applicable model promises to improve the mechanistic understanding of biofilm formation, antimicrobial tolerance, and resistance evolution in biofilms.

Author(s):  
Adithi R. Varadarajan ◽  
Raymond N. Allan ◽  
Jules D. P. Valentin ◽  
Olga E. Castañeda Ocampo ◽  
Vincent Somerville ◽  
...  

AbstractPseudomonas aeruginosa MPAO1 is the parental strain of the widely utilized transposon mutant collection for this important clinical pathogen. Here, we validate a model system to identify genes involved in biofilm growth and antibiotic resistance.Our model employs a genomics-driven workflow to assemble the complete MPAO1 genome, identify unique and conserved genes by comparative genomics with the PAO1 reference strain and missed genes by proteogenomics. Among over 200 unique MPAO1 genes, we identified six general essential genes that were overlooked when mapping public Tn-seq datasets against PAO1, including an antitoxin. Genomic data were integrated with phenotypic data from an experimental workflow using a user-friendly, soft lithography-based microfluidic flow chamber for biofilm growth. Experiments conducted across three laboratories delivered reproducible data on P. aeruginosa biofilms and validated both known and novel genes involved in biofilm growth and antibiotic resistance identified in screens of the mutant collection. Differential protein expression data from planktonic cells versus biofilm confirmed upregulation of candidates known to affect biofilm formation, of structural and secreted proteins of type six secretion systems, and provided proteogenomic evidence for some missed MPAO1 genes. This integrated, broadly applicable model promises to improve the mechanistic understanding of biofilm formation, antimicrobial tolerance and resistance evolution.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1134
Author(s):  
Márió Gajdács ◽  
Zoltán Baráth ◽  
Krisztina Kárpáti ◽  
Dóra Szabó ◽  
Donatella Usai ◽  
...  

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) possesses a plethora of virulence determinants, including the production of biofilm, pigments, exotoxins, proteases, flagella, and secretion systems. The aim of our present study was to establish the relationship between biofilm-forming capacity, the expression of some important virulence factors, and the multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype in P. aeruginosa. A total of three hundred and two (n = 302) isolates were included in this study. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and phenotypic detection of resistance determinants were carried out; based on these results, isolates were grouped into distinct resistotypes and multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indices were calculated. The capacity of isolates to produce biofilm was assessed using a crystal violet microtiter-plate based method. Motility (swimming, swarming, and twitching) and pigment-production (pyoverdine and pyocyanin) were also measured. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were calculated to determine for antimicrobial resistance, biofilm-formation, and expression of other virulence factors. Resistance rates were the highest for ceftazidime (56.95%; n = 172), levofloxacin (54.97%; n = 166), and ciprofloxacin (54.64%; n = 159), while lowest for colistin (1.66%; n = 5); 44.04% (n = 133) of isolates were classified as MDR. 19.87% (n = 60), 20.86% (n = 63) and 59.27% (n = 179) were classified as weak, moderate, and strong biofilm producers, respectively. With the exception of pyocyanin production (0.371 ± 0.193 vs. non-MDR: 0.319 ± 0.191; p = 0.018), MDR and non-MDR isolates did not show significant differences in expression of virulence factors. Additionally, no relevant correlations were seen between the rate of biofilm formation, pigment production, or motility. Data on interplay between the presence and mechanisms of drug resistance with those of biofilm formation and virulence is crucial to address chronic bacterial infections and to provide strategies for their management.


2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik van Tilburg Bernardes ◽  
Laetitia Charron-Mazenod ◽  
David J. Reading ◽  
Shauna L. Reckseidler-Zenteno ◽  
Shawn Lewenza

ABSTRACT Biofilm formation is a universal virulence strategy in which bacteria grow in dense microbial communities enmeshed within a polymeric extracellular matrix that protects them from antibiotic exposure and the immune system. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an archetypal biofilm-forming organism that utilizes a biofilm growth strategy to cause chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The extracellular matrix of P. aeruginosa biofilms is comprised mainly of exopolysaccharides (EPS) and DNA. Both mucoid and nonmucoid isolates of P. aeruginosa produce the Pel and Psl EPS, each of which have important roles in antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and immune evasion. Given the central importance of the EPS for biofilms, they are attractive targets for novel anti-infective compounds. In this study, we used a high-throughput gene expression screen to identify compounds that repress expression of the pel genes. The pel repressors demonstrated antibiofilm activity against microplate and flow chamber biofilms formed by wild-type and hyperbiofilm-forming strains. To determine the potential role of EPS in virulence, pel/psl mutants were shown to have reduced virulence in feeding behavior and slow killing virulence assays in Caenorhabditis elegans. The antibiofilm molecules also reduced P. aeruginosa PAO1 virulence in the nematode slow killing model. Importantly, the combination of antibiotics and antibiofilm compounds increased killing of P. aeruginosa biofilms. These small molecules represent a novel anti-infective strategy for the possible treatment of chronic P. aeruginosa infections.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1934578X2098774
Author(s):  
Jinpeng Zou ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Ruiwei Guo ◽  
Yu Tang ◽  
Zhengrong Shi ◽  
...  

The drug resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a worldwide problem due to its great threat to human health. A crude extract of Angelica dahurica has been proved to have antibacterial properties, which suggested that it may be able to inhibit the biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa; initial exploration had shown that the crude extract could inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa effectively. After the adaptive dose of coumarin was confirmed to be a potential treatment for the bacteria’s drug resistance, “coumarin-antibiotic combination treatments” (3 coumarins—simple coumarin, imperatorin, and isoimperatorin—combined with 2 antibiotics—ampicillin and ceftazidime) were examined to determine their capability to inhibit P. aeruginosa. The final results showed that (1) coumarin with either ampicillin or ceftazidime significantly inhibited the biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa; (2) coumarin could directly destroy mature biofilms; and (3) the combination treatment can synergistically enhance the inhibition of biofilm formation, which could significantly reduce the usage of antibiotics and bacterial resistance. To sum up, a coumarin-antibiotic combination treatment may be a potential way to inhibit the biofilm growth of P. aeruginosa and provides a reference for antibiotic resistance treatment.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhavani Manivannan ◽  
Niranjana Mahalingam ◽  
Sudhir Jadhao ◽  
Amrita Mishra ◽  
Pravin Nilawe ◽  
...  

We present the draft genome assembly of an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain isolated from a patient with a history of genito urinary tuberculosis. The draft genome is 7,022,546 bp with a G+C content of 65.48%. It carries 7 phage genomes, genes for quorum sensing, biofilm formation, virulence, and antibiotic resistance.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swetha Kassety ◽  
Stefan Katharios-Lanwermeyer ◽  
George A. O’Toole ◽  
Carey D. Nadell

Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains PA14 and PAO1 are among the two best characterized model organisms used to study the mechanisms of biofilm formation, while also representing two distinct lineages of P. aeruginosa . Previous work has shown that PA14 and PAO1 use different strategies for surface colonization; they also have different extracellular matrix composition and different propensities to disperse from biofilms back into the planktonic phase surrounding them. We expand on this work here by exploring the consequences of these different biofilm production strategies during direct competition. Using differentially labeled strains and microfluidic culture methods, we show that PAO1 can outcompete PA14 in direct competition during early colonization and subsequent biofilm growth, that they can do so in constant and perturbed environments, and that this advantage is specific to biofilm growth and requires production of the Psl polysaccharide. In contrast, the P. aeruginosa PA14 is better able to invade pre-formed biofilms and is more inclined to remain surface-associated under starvation conditions. These data together suggest that while P. aeruginosa PAO1 and PA14 are both able to effectively colonize surfaces, they do so in different ways that are advantageous under different environmental settings. Importance Recent studies indicate that P. aeruginosa PAO1 and PA14 use distinct strategies to initiate biofilm formation. We investigated whether their respective colonization and matrix secretion strategies impact their ability to compete under different biofilm-forming regimes. Our work shows that these different strategies do indeed impact how these strains fair in direct competition: PAO1 dominates during colonization of a naïve surface, while PA14 is more effective in colonizing a pre-formed biofilm. These data suggest that even for very similar microbes there can be distinct strategies to successfully colonize and persist on surfaces during the biofilm life cycle.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace I Borlee ◽  
Mihnea R. Mangalea ◽  
Kevin H. Martin ◽  
Brooke A. Plumley ◽  
Samuel J. Golon ◽  
...  

The regulation and production of secondary metabolites during biofilm growth of Burkholderia spp. is not well understood. To learn more about the crucial role and regulatory control of cryptic molecules produced during biofilm growth, we disrupted c-di-GMP signaling in Burkholderia pseudomallei, a soil-borne bacterial saprophyte and the etiologic agent of melioidosis. Our approach to these studies combined transcriptional profiling with genetic deletions that targeted key c-di-GMP regulatory components to characterize responses to changes in temperature. Mutational analyses and conditional expression studies of c-di-GMP genes demonstrates their contribution to phenotypes such as biofilm formation, colony morphology, motility, and expression of secondary metabolite biosynthesis when grown as a biofilm at different temperatures. RNA-seq analysis was performed at varying temperatures in a ΔII2523 mutant background that is responsive to temperature alterations resulting in hypo- and hyper- biofilm forming phenotypes. Differential regulation of genes was observed for polysaccharide biosynthesis, secretion systems, and nonribosomal peptide and polyketide synthase (NRPS/PKS) clusters in response to temperature changes. Deletion mutations of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) clusters 2, 11, 14 (syrbactin), and 15 (malleipeptin) in wild-type and ΔII2523 backgrounds also reveals the contribution of these BGCs to biofilm formation and colony morphology in addition to inhibition of Bacillus subtilis and Rhizoctonia solani. Our findings suggest that II2523 impacts the regulation of genes that contribute to biofilm formation and competition. Characterization of cryptic BGCs under differing environmental conditions will allow for a better understanding of the role of secondary metabolites in the context of biofilm formation and microbe-microbe interactions.


10.3823/846 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelraouf A Elmanama ◽  
Suhaila Al-Sheboul ◽  
Renad I Abu-Dan

Abstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa threatens patient’s care. It is considered as the most complicated health care associated pathogen to be eliminated from infection site. The biofilm forming ability of P. aeruginosa, being a major virulence factor for most pathogenic microorganism, protects it from host immunity and contribute to antibiotic resistance of this organism. It is estimated that about 80% of infectious diseases are due to biofilm mode of growth. Biofilm forming ability of bacteria imparts antimicrobial resistance that leads to many persistent and chronic bacterial infections. The world is becoming increasingly under the threat of entering the “post-antibiotic era”, an era in which the rate of death from bacterial infections is higher than from cancer. This review focus on P. aeruginosa biofilm forming ability; definition, developmental stages, and significance. In addition, the quorum sensing and the antibiotic resistance of this pathogen is discussed. Keywords: Biofilm; bacterial adhesion; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; antimicrobial resistance; quorum sensing.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1075-1082
Author(s):  
S. Derakhshan ◽  
A. Rezaee ◽  
Sh. Mohammadi

Background and aim. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is considered as a notorious pathogen due to its multidrug resistance and life threatening infections. We investigated the relationship between type III secretion toxins, biofilm formation, and antibiotic resistance among clinical P. aeruginosa isolates. Methods. A total of 70 genetically distinct clinical P. aeruginosa isolates were characterized for antibiotic resistance by disk diffusion assay. Biofilm formation was evaluated by microtiter plate method and presence of four exo genes (exoS, exoU, exoT and exoY) was investigated by PCR. A p-value < 0.05 was regarded statistically significant. Results. The most effective antibiotics were Meropenem and Piperacillin. Multidrug resistance was more prevalent in the ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates than in the susceptible isolates. The most frequently identified exo was exoS (37.1%). Genotype exoS/exoT was found in 4 isolates, while genotype exoU/exoT was not found. Prevalence of exoS was generally higher in the susceptible isolates than in the resistant isolates. A significant association was found between the formation of strong biofilm and resistance to antibiotics (p < 0.05). Prevalence of exoY and exoU was higher in the non-strong biofilm producers compared to the strong biofilm producers. Conclusion. Our study revealed formation of strong biofilm along with antibiotic resistance and the presence of exo genes in P. aeruginosa isolates. Knowledge of virulence gene profiles and biofilm formation may be useful in deciding appropriate treatment.


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