title: Influence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pvdQ gene on altering antibiotic susceptibility under swarming conditions.
abstract: In Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, the pvdQ gene has been shown to have at least two functions. It encodes the acylase enzyme and hydrolyzes 3-oxo-C12-HSL, the key signaling molecule of quorum sensing system. In addition, pvdQ is involved in swarming motility. It is required and up-regulated during swarming motility, which is triggered by high cell densities. As high density bacterial populations also display elevated antibiotics resistance, studies have demonstrated swarm-cell differentiation in P. aeruginosa promotes increased resistance to various antibiotics. PvdQ acts as a signal during swarm-cell differentiation, and thus may play a role in P. aeruginosa antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to examine whether pvdQ was involved in modifying antibiotic susceptibility during swarming conditions and to investigate the mechanism by which this occurred. We constructed the PAO1pMEpvdQ strain, which overproduces PvdQ. PAO1pMEpvdQ promotes swarming motility, while PAO1ΔpvdQ abolishes swarming motility. In addition, both PAO1 and PAO1pMEpvdQ acquired resistance to ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, meropenem, polymyxin B, and gentamicin, though PAO1pMEpvdQ exhibited a twofold to eightfold increase in antibiotic resistance compared to PAO1. These results indicate that pvdQ plays an important role in elevating antibiotic resistance via swarm-cell differentiation and possibly other mechanisms as well. We analyzed outer membrane permeability. Our data also suggest that pvdQ decreases P. aeruginosa outer membrane permeability, thereby elevating antibiotic resistance under swarming conditions. Our results suggest new approaches for reducing P. aeruginosa resistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China. wangll0904@163.com
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chunling
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fengyun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xuhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Aixia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015870:Gene Expression; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008124:Locomotion; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins