DeaD contributes to Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence in a mouse acute pneumonia model.
DExD/H box RNA helicases play essential roles in various biological processes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. By screening Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with mutations in various DExD/H box helicase genes, we identified that deaD was required for bacterial cytotoxicity and virulence in a mouse acute pneumonia model. Compared to a wild-type strain and its complementation strain, the deaD mutant induced less production of proinflammatory cytokines, neutrophil infiltration and lung damage during infection. We further found that the RNA helicase activity of DeaD was required for the expression of type III secretion system (T3SS) genes. Overexpression of ExsA, a master activator of the T3SS, restored the expression of T3SS genes as well as the virulence of the deaD mutant, suggesting that the attenuated virulence of the deaD mutant was mainly due to the defective T3SS. Overall, our results reveal a role of DeaD in the virulence of P. aeruginosa.
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Hao
H
Tan
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Lu
L
Zhang
College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Qiang
Q
Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Ronghao
R
Chen
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Chang
C
Liu
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Yuding
Y
Weng
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Qianqian
Q
Peng
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacyand Life Sciences, and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Fang
F
Bai
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Zhihui
Z
Cheng
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
Shouguang
S
Jin
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
Weihui
W
Wu
State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China yxjin@nankai.edu.cn.
Yongxin
Y
Jin
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000382:microbiology*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D000069296:Type III Secretion Systems / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C095093:ExsA protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000069296:Type III Secretion Systems; D037521:Virulence Factors; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases
DeaD; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; RNA helicase; type III secretion system; virulence