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Role of Pili in the Pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Burn Infection
Author(s) -
Sato Hisaaki,
Okinaga Kota,
Saito Hiroshi
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1988.tb01372.x
Subject(s) - pilus , microbiology and biotechnology , virulence , bacteria , pseudomonas aeruginosa , inoculation , biology , fimbria , colonization , pseudomonadaceae , pseudomonas , colony forming unit , immunology , gene , biochemistry , genetics
The present study using three isogenic mutants (F + P − , F − P + , F − P − ) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa indicates that the presence of pili enhances the virulence of the organisms in experimental P. aeruginosa burn infection of mice. The 50% lethal dose (LD 50 ) value for burned mice inoculated with non‐piliated (P − ) mutant was at least ten times higher than those inoculated with piliated (P + ) bacteria. Meanwhile the LD 50 value for burned mice inoculated with non‐flagellated (F − ) mutant was at least 10 5 times higher than those inoculated with flagellated (F + ) bacteria. At 24 hr after inoculation, the bacterial counts in burned skin of mice inoculated with P + bacteria were ten times higher than those inoculated with P − bacteria; and at 48 hr the bacterial counts became a hundred times higher in the former mice than the latter. At 24 hr after inoculation, P + bacteria were isolated from blood, liver (F + P + ), lung (F + P + ), and kidney, while P − bacteria were not present in these tissues. And at 48 hr after inoculation, P + bacteria were isolated from all tissues, while P − bacteria were isolated from some sites only. These results suggested that pili and flagella each play an important role as virulence factors independently, and that pili‐mediated enhancement of virulence of P. aeruginosa was attributed to pili‐mediated enhanced colonization of the organisms at the burned skin surfaces.