Expression of virulence factors by Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm after bacteriophage infection

Autor(es)

Oliveira, Viviane de Cassia ^{[1, 2]} ; Steixner, Stephan ^[3] ; do Nascimento, Cassio ^[1] ; Pagnano, Valeria Oliveira ^[1] ; Silva-Lovato, Claudia Helena ^[1] ; Oliveira Paranhos, Helena de Freitas ^[1] ; Wilflingseder, Doris ^[4] ; Coraca-Huber, Debora ^[3] ; Watanabe, Evandro ^{[5, 2]}

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Dent Ribeirao Preto, Dept Dent Mat & Prostheses, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Nursing Ribeirao Preto, Human Exposome & Infect Dis Network HEID, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[3] Med Univ Innsbruck, Dept Orthoped Surg, Res Lab Biofilms & Implant Associated Infect BIOF, Expt Orthoped, Innsbruck - Austria

^[4] Med Univ Innsbruck, Div Hyg & Med Microbiol, Innsbruck - Austria

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Dent Ribeirao Preto, Dept Restorat Dent, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Microbial Pathogenesis; v. 154, MAY 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

The use of bacteriophages for the treatment of bacterial infections has been extensively studied. Nonetheless, the stress response regarding bacteriophage infection and the expression of virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa after phage infection is poorly discussed. In this study, we evaluated biofilm formation capacity and expression of virulence factors of P. aeruginosa after bacteriophage infection. Biofilm growth rates, biofilm morphology, pyocyanin production and elastase activity were evaluated after 2, 8, 24 and 48 h of co-cultivation with bacteriophages that was recently characterized and showed to be infective towards clinical isolates. In parallel, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions were carried out to verify the expression of virulencerelated genes. Bacteriophages promoted substantial changes in P. aeruginosa biofilm growth at early co-culture time. In addition, at 8 h, we observed that some cultures developed filaments. Although bacteriophages did not alter both pyocyanin and protease activity, changes on the expression level of genes related to virulence factors were detected. Usually, lasI, pslA, lasB and phzH genes were upregulated after 2 and 48 h of co-culture. These results highlight the need for extensive investigation of pathways and molecules involved in phage infection, since the transcriptional changes would suggest a response activation by P. aeruginosa. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 20/03405-5 - Bacteriófagos com potencial aplicabilidade em tubos endotraqueais: atividades antibacteriana e antibiofilme
• Beneficiário: Pedro Castania Amadio Domingues
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Programa Capacitação - Treinamento Técnico
• Processo FAPESP: 18/09757-0 - Bacteriófagos com potencial aplicabilidade em tubos endotraqueais: atividades antibacteriana e antibiofilme
• Beneficiário: Evandro Watanabe
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 19/13271-9 - Bacteriófagos com potencial aplicabilidade em tubos endotraqueais: atividades antibacteriana e antibiofilme
• Beneficiário: Felipe Lazarini Bim
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Programa Capacitação - Treinamento Técnico