ECF Sigma Factor HxuI Is Critical for In Vivo Fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during Infection

Cai，Zeqiong1; Yang，Fan1; Shao，Xiaolong2; Yue，Zhuo1; Li，Zhenpeng3; Song，Yuqin4; Pan，Xiaolei1; Jin，Yongxin1; Cheng，Zhihui1; Ha，Un Hwan5; Feng，Jie4; Yang，Liang6; Deng，Xin2; Wu，Weihui1; Bai，Fang1

2022-02-01

10.1128/spectrum.01620-21

Microbiology Spectrum   影响因子和分区

2165-0497

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa often adapts to its host environment and causes recurrent nosocomial infections. The extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor enables bacteria to alter their gene expression in response to host environmental stimuli. Here, we report an ECF sigma factor, HxuI, which is rapidly induced once P. aeruginosa encounters the host. Host stresses such as iron limitation, oxidative stress, low oxygen, and nitric oxide induce the expression of hxuI. By combining RNA-seq and promoter-lacZ reporter fusion analysis, we reveal that HxuI can activate the expression of diverse metabolic and virulence pathways which are critical to P. aeruginosa infections, including iron acquisition, denitrification, pyocyanin synthesis, and bacteriocin production. Most importantly, overexpression of the hxuI in the laboratory strain PAO1 promotes its colonization in both murine lung and subcutaneous infections. Together, our findings show that HxuI, a key player in host stress-response, controls the in vivo adaptability and virulence of P. aeruginosa during infection. IMPORTANCE P. aeruginosa has a strong ability to adapt to diverse environments, making it capable of causing recurrent and multisite infections in clinics. Understanding host adaptive mechanisms plays an important guiding role in the development of new anti-infective agents. Here, we demonstrate that an ECFs factor of P. aeruginosa response to the host-inflicted stresses, which promotes the bacterial in vivo fitness and pathogenicity. Furthermore, our findings may help explain the emergence of highly transmissible strains of P. aeruginosa and the acute exacerbations during chronic infections.

ECF sigma factor Host stress-response HxuI Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence

英语

其他

2-s2.0-85124278441

Scopus

1.State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology,Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education,College of Life Sciences,Nankai University,Tianjin,China
2.Department of Biomedical Sciences,City University of Hong Kong,Kowloon Tong,Hong Kong
3.School of Laboratory Medicine,Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics in Universities of Shandong,Weifang Medical University,Weifang,Shandong,China
4.State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources,Institute of Microbiology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing,China
5.Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics,Korea University,Sejong,South Korea
6.School of Medicine,Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTec),Shenzhen,China

Cai，Zeqiong,Yang，Fan,Shao，Xiaolong,et al. ECF Sigma Factor HxuI Is Critical for In Vivo Fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during Infection[J]. Microbiology Spectrum,2022,10(1).

Cai，Zeqiong.,Yang，Fan.,Shao，Xiaolong.,Yue，Zhuo.,Li，Zhenpeng.,...&Bai，Fang.(2022).ECF Sigma Factor HxuI Is Critical for In Vivo Fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during Infection.Microbiology Spectrum,10(1).

Cai，Zeqiong,et al."ECF Sigma Factor HxuI Is Critical for In Vivo Fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during Infection".Microbiology Spectrum 10.1(2022).