title: Lethality and cooperation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum-sensing mutants in Drosophila melanogaster infection models.
abstract: The virulence profiles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum-sensing (QS) mutants were assessed in Drosophila melanogaster feeding and nicking infection models. Functional RhlIR and LasIR QS systems were required for killing in the fly feeding infection model but were not essential in the fly nicking infection model. Mixed infections between PAO1 and strains harbouring mutations in lasR, rhlI and lasI rhlI resulted in increased lethality in the fly feeding model compared with either isolate alone. These results suggested that the parental strain could cooperate with QS mutants in the Drosophila feeding infection model. Finally, the mixed infection between PAO1 and an rhlR mutant resulted in spiteful behaviour and reduced pathogenicity of the mixed culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: Erika I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Lutter
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: Swathi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Purighalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duong
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.|Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: Douglas G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Storey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000382:microbiology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins