Contribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl to Wound Infections
Biofilms are the cause of most chronic bacterial infections. Living within the biofilm matrix, which is made of extracellular substances, including polysaccharides, proteins, eDNA, lipids and other molecules, provides microorganisms protection from antimicrobials and the host immune response. Exopol...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.835754/full |
| _version_ | 1818366196369588224 |
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| author | Derek Fleming Brandon Niese Whitni Redman Emily Vanderpool Vernita Gordon Vernita Gordon Kendra P. Rumbaugh Kendra P. Rumbaugh |
| author_facet | Derek Fleming Brandon Niese Whitni Redman Emily Vanderpool Vernita Gordon Vernita Gordon Kendra P. Rumbaugh Kendra P. Rumbaugh |
| author_sort | Derek Fleming |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biofilms are the cause of most chronic bacterial infections. Living within the biofilm matrix, which is made of extracellular substances, including polysaccharides, proteins, eDNA, lipids and other molecules, provides microorganisms protection from antimicrobials and the host immune response. Exopolysaccharides are major structural components of bacterial biofilms and are thought to be vital to numerous aspects of biofilm formation and persistence, including adherence to surfaces, coherence with other biofilm-associated cells, mechanical stability, protection against desiccation, binding of enzymes, and nutrient acquisition and storage, as well as protection against antimicrobials, host immune cells and molecules, and environmental stressors. However, the contribution of specific exopolysaccharide types to the pathogenesis of biofilm infection is not well understood. In this study we examined whether the absence of the two main exopolysaccharides produced by the biofilm former Pseudomonas aeruginosa would affect wound infection in a mouse model. Using P. aeruginosa mutants that do not produce the exopolysaccharides Pel and/or Psl we observed that the severity of wound infections was not grossly affected; both the bacterial load in the wounds and the wound closure rates were unchanged. However, the size and spatial distribution of biofilm aggregates in the wound tissue were significantly different when Pel and Psl were not produced, and the ability of the mutants to survive antibiotic treatment was also impaired. Taken together, our data suggest that while the production of Pel and Psl do not appear to affect P. aeruginosa pathogenesis in mouse wound infections, they may have an important implication for bacterial persistence in vivo. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:32:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bed14a2a040d4445be5b02c1f59cf179 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2235-2988 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:32:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-bed14a2a040d4445be5b02c1f59cf1792022-12-21T23:29:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology2235-29882022-04-011210.3389/fcimb.2022.835754835754Contribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl to Wound InfectionsDerek Fleming0Brandon Niese1Whitni Redman2Emily Vanderpool3Vernita Gordon4Vernita Gordon5Kendra P. Rumbaugh6Kendra P. Rumbaugh7Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences, Lubbock, TX, United StatesDepartment of Physics, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX, United StatesDepartment of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences, Lubbock, TX, United StatesDepartment of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences, Lubbock, TX, United StatesDepartment of Physics, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX, United StatesInterdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs, LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesDepartment of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences, Lubbock, TX, United StatesBurn Center for Research Excellence, Texas Tech University Health Sciences, Lubbock, TX, United StatesBiofilms are the cause of most chronic bacterial infections. Living within the biofilm matrix, which is made of extracellular substances, including polysaccharides, proteins, eDNA, lipids and other molecules, provides microorganisms protection from antimicrobials and the host immune response. Exopolysaccharides are major structural components of bacterial biofilms and are thought to be vital to numerous aspects of biofilm formation and persistence, including adherence to surfaces, coherence with other biofilm-associated cells, mechanical stability, protection against desiccation, binding of enzymes, and nutrient acquisition and storage, as well as protection against antimicrobials, host immune cells and molecules, and environmental stressors. However, the contribution of specific exopolysaccharide types to the pathogenesis of biofilm infection is not well understood. In this study we examined whether the absence of the two main exopolysaccharides produced by the biofilm former Pseudomonas aeruginosa would affect wound infection in a mouse model. Using P. aeruginosa mutants that do not produce the exopolysaccharides Pel and/or Psl we observed that the severity of wound infections was not grossly affected; both the bacterial load in the wounds and the wound closure rates were unchanged. However, the size and spatial distribution of biofilm aggregates in the wound tissue were significantly different when Pel and Psl were not produced, and the ability of the mutants to survive antibiotic treatment was also impaired. Taken together, our data suggest that while the production of Pel and Psl do not appear to affect P. aeruginosa pathogenesis in mouse wound infections, they may have an important implication for bacterial persistence in vivo.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.835754/fullbiofilmPseudomonas aeruginosawound infectionexopolysaccharidesaggregatePel |
| spellingShingle | Derek Fleming Brandon Niese Whitni Redman Emily Vanderpool Vernita Gordon Vernita Gordon Kendra P. Rumbaugh Kendra P. Rumbaugh Contribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl to Wound Infections Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology biofilm Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infection exopolysaccharides aggregate Pel |
| title | Contribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl to Wound Infections |
| title_full | Contribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl to Wound Infections |
| title_fullStr | Contribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl to Wound Infections |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl to Wound Infections |
| title_short | Contribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl to Wound Infections |
| title_sort | contribution of pseudomonas aeruginosa exopolysaccharides pel and psl to wound infections |
| topic | biofilm Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infection exopolysaccharides aggregate Pel |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.835754/full |
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