title: Insights into Cystic Fibrosis Polymicrobial Consortia: The Role of Species Interactions in Biofilm Development, Phenotype, and Response to In-Use Antibiotics.
abstract: Cystic Fibrosis (CF) airways disease involves complex polymicrobial infections where different bacterial species can interact and influence each other and/or even interfere with the whole community. To gain insights into the role that interactions betweenPseudomonas aeruginosain co-culture withStaphylococcus aureus, Inquilinus limosus, andStenotrophomonas maltophiliamay play in infection, the reciprocal effect during biofilm formation and the response of dual biofilms toward ciprofloxacin underin vitroatmospheres with different oxygen availabilities were evaluated. Biofilm formation kinetics showed that the growth ofS. aureus, I. limosus, andS. maltophiliawas disturbed in the presence ofP. aeruginosa, under both aerobic and anaerobic environments. On the other hand, under aerobic conditions,I. limosusled to a decrease in biofilm mass production byP. aeruginosa, although biofilm-cells viability remains unaltered. The interaction betweenS. maltophiliaandP. aeruginosapositively influenced dual biofilm development by increasing its biomass. Compared with monocultures, biomass ofP. aeruginosa+S. aureusbiofilms was significantly reduced by reciprocal interference. When grown in dual biofilms withP. aeruginosa, ciprofloxacin was less effective againstS. aureus, I. limosus, and S. maltophilia, with increasing antibiotic doses leading to drastic inhibitions ofP. aeruginosacultivability. Therefore,P. aeruginosamight be responsible for the protection of the whole dual consortia against ciprofloxacin activity. Based on the overall data, it can be speculated that reciprocal interferences occur between the different bacterial species in CF lung, regardless the level of oxygen. The findings also suggest that alterations of bacterial behavior due to species interplay may be important for disease progression in CF infection.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira (LIBRO), University of Minho, Braga Portugal.
authors.forename: Andreia P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.affiliation: Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira (LIBRO), University of Minho, Braga Portugal.
authors.forename: Susana P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira (LIBRO), University of Minho, Braga Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Pereira
keywords: Inquilinus limosus; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococcus aureus; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia; antibiotic therapy; cystic fibrosis; polymicrobial interaction