Project description:Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) lung infection is a significant cause of mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Existing experimental data in our lab showed significantly different levels of virulence of "early" and "late" P. aeruginosa infection isolates in a C. elegans slow killing model. We wished to examine the expression profile of these isolates in order to explore genes that may be responsible for the observed differences. The expression profiles of two pairs of isolates (four isolates in total) were compared to each other using the Affymetrix P. aeruginosa PAO1 genome array, to gain insight into properties mediating virulence in these isolates. Data analysis was carried out using BIOCONDUCTOR software. Keywords: Comparative strain hybridization
Project description:The gene encoding elongation factor G, fusA1, is frequently mutated in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from patients with cystic fibrosis. Recent work has shown that fusA1 mutants often display elevated aminoglycoside resistance due to increased expression of the aminoglycoside efflux pump, MexXY. We isolated a spontaneous gentamicin-resistant fusA1 mutant (FusA1-P443L) in which mexXY expression was increased. We compared the transcriptome of this fusA1 mutant (EMC1) with the P. aeruginosa PAO1-derived progenitor strain (EMC0) and complemented mutant strain expressing the wild-type fusA1 gene in trans (EMC1*).
Project description:Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronically colonizes the lungs of individuals with CF, where it reaches high cell densities and produces a battery of virulence factors. Upon infection, a single strain of P. aeruginosa can colonize an individual’s lungs throughout his or her lifetime. To understand the evolution of P. aeruginosa during chronic lung infection, we conducted both genotypic and phenotypic analyses on clinical isogenic strains obtained from the lungs of three different individuals with CF. These strains were isolated over a period of approximately ten years and possess phenotypes that are commonly observed in isolates from the CF lung, such as the antibiotic resistant dwarf and mucoid phenotypes. Microarray analyses were carried out on isolates grown in a chemically defined medium that mimics the nutritional environment of the CF lung, synthetic CF sputum medium (SCFM).
Project description:Quorum sensing (QS) is the cell density-dependent virulence factor regulator in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we elucidate PIT2, a phage-encoded inhibitor of the QS regulator LasR, derived from the lytic Pseudomonas phage LMA2. PIT2 inhibits the effectors PrpL and LasA of the type 2 secretion system of P. aeruginosa and attenuates bacterial virulence towards HeLa cells and in Galleria mellonella. Using RNAseq-based differential gene expression analysis, the effect of PIT2 on the LasR regulatory network was revealed. Moreover, the specific interaction between LasR and PIT2 was determined. These data expand our knowledge on phage-encoded modulators of the bacterial metabolism, as this examples an anti-virulence protein derived from a lytic phage. From an applied perspective, this phage protein reveals and exploits an interesting anti-virulence target in P. aeruginosa. As such, it lays the foundation for a new phage-inspired anti-virulence strategy to combat multidrug resistant pathogens and opens the door for SynBio applications.
Project description:The Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 gene phaF (PA5060) is a transcriptional regulator in the closely related pseudomonad P. putida. phaF is expressed at higher levels in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates from the cystic fibrosis respiratory tract. To determine the role of phaF in regulating P. aeruginosa gene expression, we cloned it under control of the pBAD promoter in expression vector pJN105 and compared expression in this strain relative to an empty vector control strain. We used microarrays to study overall gene expression in a P. aeruginosa PAO1 phaF overexpression strain. A P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain over-expressing the transcriptional regulator phaF, PAO1 pJN105-phaF, and the corresponding empty control strain, P. aeruginosa PAO1 pJN105, were grown to exponential phase, RNA was isolated, and gene expression was analyzed via microarray analysis and compared.
Project description:Untargeted metabolomics analysis of in vitro headspace volatiles from 81 Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial isolates from individuals with cystic fibrosis. Headspace volatiles were collected using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) (in triplicate) and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOFMS). 15 replicates of un-inoculated media were prepared and analyzed in parallel, for a total of 258 samples.