title: The oxygen- and iron-dependent sigma factor pvdS of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important virulence factor in experimental infective endocarditis.
abstract: In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pvdS, a key oxygen (O2)-dependent locus, regulates expression of a number of virulence genes, including toxA (which encodes exotoxin A production). To define the in vivo role of differing O2 tensions on pseudomonal virulence, 2 knockout mutants, DeltapvdS and DeltatoxA, were compared with their parental strain, PA01, in rabbit aortic and tricuspid endocarditis models (representing aerobic vs. microaerobic conditions in vivo, respectively). In aortic endocarditis, DeltapvdS densities were significantly less than those of PA01 in vegetations, kidneys, and spleen (P<.01). In contrast, in tricuspid endocarditis, there were no significant differences between DeltapvdS and PA01 tissue densities in these same target tissues. The DeltatoxA mutant proliferated within target tissues to the same extent as the parental strain. Thus, pvdS (but not toxA) appears to be required for optimal virulence of P. aeruginosa, particularly in tissues preferentially exposed to high O2 tensions (e.g., aortic vegetations).
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Research and Education Institute, St. John's Cardiovascular Research Center, LAC-Harbor UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90509, USA. XIONG@HUMC.EDU
authors.forename: Y Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vasil
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: U A
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Ochsner
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bayer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D007501:Iron / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009154:Mutation; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011817:Rabbits; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C093593:PvdS protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D012808:Sigma Factor; D007501:Iron; D010100:Oxygen