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Multiple roles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa TBCF10839 PilY1 in motility, transport and infection
Author(s) -
Bohn YuSing Tammy,
Brandes Gudrun,
Rakhimova Elza,
Horatzek Sonja,
Salunkhe Prabhakar,
Munder Antje,
Van Barneveld Andrea,
Jordan Doris,
Bredenbruch Florian,
Häußler Susanne,
Riedel Kathrin,
Eberl Leo,
Jensen Peter Østrup,
Bjarnsholt Thomas,
Moser Claus,
Hoiby Niels,
Tümmler Burkhard,
Wiehlmann Lutz
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2008.06559.x
Subject(s) - pilus , biology , pseudomonas aeruginosa , microbiology and biotechnology , motility , mutant , population , swarming motility , secretion , transposon mutagenesis , biofilm , mutagenesis , extracellular , bacterial adhesin , bacteria , virulence , gene , transposable element , quorum sensing , genetics , biochemistry , demography , sociology
Summary Polymorphonuclear neutrophils are the most important mammalian host defence cells against infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Screening of a signature tagged mutagenesis library of the non‐piliated P. aeruginosa strain TBCF10839 uncovered that transposon inactivation of its pilY1 gene rendered the bacterium more resistant against killing by neutrophils than the wild type and any other of the more than 3000 tested mutants. Inactivation of pilY1 led to the loss of twitching motility in twitching‐proficient wild‐type PA14 and PAO1 strains, predisposed to autolysis and impaired the secretion of quinolones and pyocyanin, but on the other hand promoted growth in stationary phase and bacterial survival in murine airway infection models. The PilY1 population consisted of a major full‐length and a minor shorter PilY1* isoform. PilY1* was detectable in small extracellular quinolone‐positive aggregates, but not in the pilus. P. aeruginosa PilY1 is not an adhesin on the pilus tip, but assists in pilus biogenesis, twitching motility, secretion of secondary metabolites and in the control of cell density in the bacterial population.