Open AccessClinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from superficial skin infections have different physiological patterns
Author(s) -
Buivydas Andrius,
Pasanen Tanja,
Senčilo Ana,
Daugelavičius Rimantas,
Vaara Martti,
Bamford Dennis H.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6968.12148
Subject(s) - pseudomonas aeruginosa , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , phenotype , multiple drug resistance , antibiotic resistance , antibiotics , bacteria , genetic heterogeneity , staphylococcus aureus , genetics , gene
Pseudomonas aeruginosa are known to have a wide physiological potential allowing them to constantly populate diverse environments leading to severe infections of humans such as septicemia, leg ulcers, and burn wounds. We set out to probe physiological characteristics of P . aeruginosa isolates from diabetic leg ulcers collected from H elsinki metropolitan area. A total of 61 clinical isolates were obtained. Detailed phenotypic (physiological) characteristics [outer membrane ( OM ) permeability, membrane voltage, and activity of multidrug resistance pumps] were determined in several growth phases leading to the division of the analyzed set of P . aeruginosa strains into five distinct clusters including cells with similar physiological properties. In addition, their antibiotic resistance patterns and genetic heterogeneity were determined. Multiple isolates from the same patient were genetically very closely related and belonged to the same phenotypic cluster. However, genetically close isolates from different patients expressed very different phenotypic properties. The characteristics of infected patients seem to determine the growth environments for microorganisms that adapt by changing their physiological and/or genetic properties.