ABSTRACT: PAO1 was cultured planktonically to stationary phase with 10 mM calcium and no added calcium. The transcriptional response to calcium addition was determined. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen that causes severe, life threatening infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), endocarditis, wounds, or with artificial implants. During CF pulmonary infections, P. aeruginosa often encounters environments where the levels of calcium (Ca2+) are elevated. Previously, we showed that P. aeruginosa responds to externally added Ca2+ through enhanced biofilm formation, increased production of several secreted virulence factors, and by developing a transient increase in the intracellular Ca2+ followed by its removal to the basal sub-micromolar level. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulating Ca2+-induced virulence factor production and Ca2+ homeostasis are not known. Here, we characterized the genome-wide transcriptional response of P. aeruginosa strains PAO1 and FRD1 to elevated [Ca2+] in both planktonic cultures and in biofilms. Among the genes induced by CaCl2 in PAO1 was an operon containing the two-component regulator PA2656-PA2657 (here called carS and carR), while the closely related two-component regulators, phoPQ and pmrAB were repressed by CaCl2 addition. To identify the regulatory targets of CarSR, we constructed a deletion mutant of carR, and performed transcriptome analysis of the mutant strain at low and high [Ca2+]. Among the genes regulated by CarSR in response to CaCl2 are the predicted periplasmic OB-fold protein, PA0320 and the inner membrane-anchored five-bladed -propeller protein, PA0327. Mutations in both PA0320 and PA0327 affected Ca2+ homeostasis, reducing the ability of P. aeruginosa to export excess Ca2+. In addition, a mutation in PA0327 had a pleotrophic effect in a Ca2+-dependent manner, altering swarming motility, pyocyanin production, and tobramycin sensitivity. Overall, the results indicate that the two-component system CarSR is responsible for sensing high levels of external Ca2+, and responding through its regulatory targets that modulate Ca2+ homeostasis, surface-associated motility, and production of the virulence factor, pyocyanin.
