Microbiologically influenced corrosion resistance enhancement of coppercontaining high entropy alloy Fe_(x)Cu_(1−x)CoNiCrMn against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

To enhance the microbiologically influenced corrosion(MIC)resistance of FeCoNiCrMn high entropy alloy(HEAs),a series of Fe_(x)Cu_((1−x))CoNiCrMn(x=1,0.75,0.5,and 0.25)HEAs were prepared.Microstructural characteristics,corrosion behavior(morphology observation and electrochemical properties),and antimicrobial performance of Fe_(x)Cu_((1−x))CoNiCrMn HEAs were evaluated in a medium inoculated with typical corrosive microorganism Pseudomonas aeruginosa.The aim was to identify copper-containing FeCoNiCrMn HEAs that balance corrosion resistance and antimicrobial properties.Results revealed that all Fe_(x)Cu_((1−x))CoNiCrMn(x=1,0.75,0.5,and 0.25)HEAs exhibited an FCC(face centered cubic)phase,with significant grain refinement observed in Fe_(0.75)Cu_(0.25)CoNiCrMn HEA.Electrochemical tests indicated that Fe_(0.75)Cu_(0.25)CoNiCrMn HEA demonstrated lower corrosion current density(i_(corr))and pitting potential(E_(pit))compared to other Fe_(x)Cu_((1−x))CoNiCrMn HEAs in P.aeruginosa-inoculated medium,exhibiting superior resistance to MIC.Anti-microbial tests showed that after 14 d of immersion,Fe_(0.75)Cu_(0.25)CoNiCrMn achieved an antibacterial rate of 89.5%,effectively inhibiting the adhesion and biofilm formation of P.aeruginosa,thereby achieving resistance to MIC.

Molecular investigation of exoU and exoY virulence genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa collected from hospitalized patients in North of Iran:A descriptive-analytical study

Objective:To investigate the frequency of exoU and exoY genes in patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.Methods:In this study,100 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were collected from patients hospitalized in educational-therapeutic hospitals and were identified using standard microbiological tests.Then,the antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates was determined by the disk agar diffusion method.The bacterial DNAs were extracted by the alkaline lysis method.Finally,the presence of exoU and exoY genes was evaluated by the PCR test.Results:In this study,47%,72%,29%,39%,40%,and 44%of the isolates were non-susceptible to piperacillin,aztreonam,ceftazidime,imipenem,tobramycin,and ciprofloxacin,respectively.In addition,95%and 93%of the clinical isolates carried the exoU and exoY genes.Blood and fecal isolates had both virulence genes,while only one wound isolate had neither genes.Meanwhile,all urinary isolates contained the exoY gene and only one isolate lacked the exoU gene.Also,88 isolates simultaneously had both exoU and exoY genes.Conclusions:High prevalence of exoU and exoY genes in this region indicates a significant role of typeⅢsecretion system in pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.The typeⅢsecretion system may be a suitable target to reduce the pathogenicity of this bacterium.

Evaluation of Azadirachta indica cultivated in Egypt against biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Insights from molecular docking studies targeting LasR

Background:Azadirachta indica(A.indica),commonly known as neem,is a widely distributed medicinal plant in Asia and Africa and is well known to have a wide spectrum of biological activity.A.indica is considered a skin food that was traditionally used in different cultures to treat a wide range of skin disorders.A.indica was reported to possess antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P.aeruginosa)which is considered the most common biofilm model organism.This study aims to investigate the ability of A.indica cultivated in Egypt to inhibit/reduce the biofilm formation by P.aeruginosa.Methods:The microtiter plate assay was used to evaluate the anti-biofilm activity of neem,cultivated in Egypt,leaves against P.aeruginosa as well as the ability to reduce the activity of P.aeruginosa.To investigate the phytocompounds responsible for their bioactivity and to explore potential interactions between their bioactive components and one of the quorum-sensing regulatory proteins of P.aeruginosa involved in biofilm formation,liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric and molecular docking studies were done.Results:Results showed that methanol extract of leaves can reduce the formation of P.aeruginosa biofilm at lower concentrations than those reported in other regions with 1.25 mg/mL as the optimum concentration.The two-way analysis of variance revealed the significance of the extract effect and its concentration on the reduction of biofilm formation(P<0.05).Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric study revealed the presence of fourteen compounds that belong to limonoids and flavonoids.Molecular docking analysis against LasR,the quorum-sensing regulatory protein,of P.aeruginosa supported these findings.Nimbolinin,a limonoid,has achieved the highest Libdock score of 138.769.Conclusion:It was concluded that A.indica,cultivated in Egypt,leaves can target LasR as a new mechanism of action for biofilm control by A.indica and therefore could be a good source of leads for anti-biofilm medicine.

Efficacy of Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid in the treatment of pneumonia induced by drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Background:Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid(PDL)is a Chinese patent medicine with notable pharmacological properties,including anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.Drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is a common and refractory bacterial infection in clinical practice.Due to its high drug resistance,it brings great challenges to treatment.This study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of PDL in a murine model of pneumonia induced by drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Methods:Three different doses of PDL(11 mL/kg/d,5.5 mL/kg/d,2.75 mL/kg/d)were used to observe lung tissue pathology and inflammatory cytokine levels in pneumonia mouse models induced by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa(MDR-PA).Additionally,the protective efficacy of PDL against mortality in infected mice was evaluated using a death model caused by MDR-PA.Finally sub-MIC concentration of levofloxacin was used to induce drug-resistant mice pneumonia model to evaluate the role of PDL in reversing drug resistance.Experimental data are expressed as mean±standard deviation.Statistical significance was determined by one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s multiple-comparisons test.Results:Treatment effect of PDL on MDR-PA pneumonia:the medium and small doses of PDL can significantly reduce the lung index of multi-drug resistant bacteria infected pneumonia model mice(P<0.05),the lung index inhibition rates for these groups were 55.09%and 58.43%,and improve the degree of lung tissue lesions of mice;The expression of serum cytokines keratinocyte chemoattractant,tumor necrosis factor-αand monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 could be decreased in the three dosage groups of PDL(P<0.01).PDL treatment not only lowered the mortality but also extended the survival duration in mice infected with MDR-PA.It was found after sub-MIC concentration of levofloxacin induced resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to pneumonia in mice.Compared with the model group,the lung index of mice in high and medium PDL doses was significantly reduced(P<0.05),with inhibition rates of 32.16%and 37.73%,respectively.Conclusion:PDL demonstrates protective effects against MDR-PA infection pneumonia,notably decreasing serum inflammatory factor levels.It shows promise in mitigating antibiotic resistance and offers potential for treating pneumonia resulting from Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance.

Anti-bacterial mechanism of baicalin-tobramycin combination on carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

BACKGROUND Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P.aeruginosa)is an important cause of nosocomial infections,and contributes to high morbidity and mortality,especially in intensive care units.P.aeruginosa is considered a'critical'category bacterial pathogen by the World Health Organization to encourage an urgent need for research and development of new antibiotics against its infections.AIM To investigate the effectiveness of baicalin combined with tobramycin therapy as a potential treatment method for carbapenem-resistant P.aeruginosa(CRPA)infections.METHODS Polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression levels of drug-resistant genes(including VIM,IMP and OprD2)and biofilmrelated genes(including algD,pslA and lasR)in CRPA that confer resistance to tobramycin,baicalin and tobramycin combined with baicalin(0,1/8,1/4,1/2 and 1MIC).RESULTS There was a correlation between biofilm formation and the expression of biofilmrelated genes.In addition,VIM,IMP,OprD2,algD,pslA and lasR that confer biofilm production under different concentrations in CRPA were significantly correlated.The synergistic effect of baicalin combined with tobramycin was a significant down-regulation of VIM,IMP,algD,pslA and lasR.CONCLUSION Baicalin combined with tobramycin therapy can be an effective treatment method for patients with CRPA infection.

Reuse of waste frying oil for production of rhamnolipids using Pseudomonas aeruginosa zju.u1M

In this work,rhamnolipid production was investigated using waste frying oil as the sole carbon source. By culture in shaking flasks,a naturally isolated strain synthesized rhamnolipid at concentration of 12.47 g/L and its mutant after treatment by UV light increased this productivity to 24.61 g/L. Fermentation was also conducted in a 50 L bioreactor and the productivity reached over 20 g/L. Hence,with a stable and high productive mutant strain,it could be feasible to reuse waste frying oil for rhamnolipid production on industrial scale.

Biodegradation of crude oil by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the presence of rhamnolipids

The potential biodegradation of crude oil was assessed based on the development of a fermentative process with a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which produced 15.4 g/L rhamnolipids when cultured in a basal mineral medium using glycerol as a sole carbon source. However, neither cell growth nor rhamnolipid production was observed in the comparative culture system using crude oil as the sole carbon source instead. As rhamnolipid, an effective biosurfactant, has been reported to stimulate the biodegradation of hydrocarbons, 1 g/L glycerol or 0.22 g/L rhamnolipid was initially added into the medium to facilitate the biodegradation of crude oil. In both situations, more than 58% of crude oil was degraded and further converted into accumulated cell biomass and rhamnolipids. These results suggest that Pseudomonas aeruginosa could degrade most of crude oil with direct or indirect addition of rhamnolipid. And this conclusion was further supported by another adsorption experiment, where the ad-sorption capacity of crude oil by killed cell biomass was negligible in comparison with the biologic activities of live cell biomass.

Isolation, Identification, and Herbicidal Activity of Metabolites Produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa CB-4

CB-4, a bacterial strain with highly effective herbicidal activity, was isolated from infected corn leaves. Through morphology, physiological and biochemical tests, and 16 S ribosomal DNA gene sequencing methods, CB-4 was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We conducted activity-evaluation experiments in the laboratory to assess the herbicidal potential of metabolites produced by strain CB-4. Crude extracts of strain CB-4 have high inhibition activity on Digitaria sanguinalis. In general, the root and shoot growth parameters of D. sanguinalis were significantly reduced by metabolites of strain CB-4. The IC50 of the culture filtrate extracts for the radicula and coleoptile of D. sanguinalis were 0.299 and 0.210 mg mL-1, respectively. Component 2 of the herbicidal activity of the crude toxin from strain CB-4 was successfully purified for the first time by using high-speed counter current chromatography with a two-phase solvent system composed of petroleum ether-ethyl acetate-methanol-water（4：5：4：5, v/v） and high-performance liquid chromatography. We concluded that the metabolites of strain CB-4 have the potential to be developed as a microbe-based herbicide.

Rapid detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by cross priming amplification

Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)is an opportunistic pathogen of humans and animals and a common source of nosocomial infections especially of the respiratory tract.Pseudomonas aeruginosa is also a major bacterial disease of poultry and in particular,eggs and newly hatched chicks.In this study,we developed a simple,accurate and rapid molecular detection method using cross priming amplification(CPA)with a nucleic acid test strip to detect P.aeruginosa.The assay efficiently amplified the target gene within 45 min at 62℃only using a simple water bath.The detection limit of the method was 1.18x 102 copiesμL^-1 for plasmid DNA and 4.4 CFU mL^-1 for bacteria in pure culture,and was 100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR.We screened 83 clinical samples from yellow-feather broiler breeder chickens and hospitalized/treated dogs and cats using CPA,PCR and traditional culture methods.The positive sample ratios were 15.3%(13/83)by CPA,13.3%(11/83)by PCR and 12.1%(10/83)by the culture method.The established CPA method has significant advantages for detecting P.aeruginosa.The method is easy to use and possesses high specificity and sensitivity without the requirements of complicated experimental equipment.The PA-CPA assay is especially fit for outdoor and primary medical units and is an ideal system for the rapid detection and monitoring of P.aeruginosa.

Experimental study on Cr(Ⅵ) reduction by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Investigation on Cr(Ⅵ) reduction was conducted using Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study demonstrated that the Cr(Ⅵ) can be effectively reduced to Cr(Ⅲ) by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The effects of the factors affecting Cr(Ⅵ) reduction rate including carbon source type, pH, initial Cr(Ⅵ) concentration and amount of cells inoculum were thoroughly studied. Malate was found to yield maximum biotransformation, followed by succinate and glucose, with the reduction rate of 60.86%, 43.76% and 28.86% respectively. The optimum pH for Cr(Ⅵ) reduction was 7.0, with reduction efficiency of 61.71% being achieved. With the increase of initial Cr(Ⅵ) concentration, the rate of Cr(Ⅵ) reduction decreased. The reduction was inhibited strongly when the initial Cr(Ⅵ) concentration increased to 157 mg/L. As the amount of cells inoculum increased, the rate of Cr(Ⅵ) reduction also increased. The mechanism of Cr(Ⅵ) reduction and final products were also analysed. The results suggested that the soluble enzymes appear to be responsible for Cr(Ⅵ) reduction by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the reduced Cr(Ⅲ) was not precipitated in the form of Cr(OH) 3.

Kinetics and mechanisms of p-nitrophenol biodegradation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa HS-D38

The kinetics and mechanisms of p-nitrophenol （PNP） biodegradation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa HS-D38 were investigated. PNP could be used by HS-D38 strain as the sole carbon, nitrogen and energy sources, and PNP was mineralized at the maximum concentration of 500 mg/L within 24 h in an mineral salt medium （MSM）. The analytical results indicated that the biodegradation of PNP fit the first order kinetics model. The rate constant kpNp is 2.039 ×10^-2/h in MSM medium, KeNp＋N is 3.603 × 10^-2/h with the addition of ammonium chloride and KPNP＋c is 9.74 ×10^-3/h with additional glucose. The addition of ammonium chloride increased the degradation of PNP. On the contrary, the addition of glucose inhibited and delayed the biodegradation of PNP. Chemical analysis results by thin-layer chromatography （TLC）, UV-Vis spectroscopy and gas chromatography （GC） techniques suggested that PNP was converted to hydroquinone （HQ） and further degraded via 1,2,4-benzenetriol （1 ,2,4-BT） pathway.

Identification and Distribution of the Clinical Isolates of Imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Carrying Metallo-β-lactamase and/or Class 1 Integron Genes

To investigate the distribution of the genes of two major metallo-β-1actamases （MBL;i.e.,IMP and VIM） and class 1 integrons （intI） in the clinical imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a total of 65 isolates, from a university hospital in Sichuan between December 2004 and April 2005 were screened for MBL genes by PCR using primers specific for blaIMP-1, blaVIM and blaVIM-2 genes. The MBL-positive isolates were further assessed for class 1 integrons by PCRusing specific primers. The nucleotide sequences of several PCR products were also determined. The results revealed that the blaVIM gene was found in 81.5% （53/65） of all isolates, blaVIM-2 gene was found in only 1 isolate and the intl gene was observed in 45.3% （24/53） of blaVIM-positive isolates. One isolate carried simultaneously both blaIMP-1 and intl genes, and to the best of our knowledge this is the first report of such isolate in southwest China. These observations highlight that the genes for VIM β-1actamase and class 1 integrons were predominantly present among the imipenem-resistant P. aeruginosa tested, confirming the current widespread threat of imipenem-resistant, integron-borne P.aeruginosa.

Effects of Combined Treatment with Sansanmycin and Macrolides on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Formation of Biofilm

Objective To observe the effects of combined treatment with sansanmycin and macrolides on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and formation of biofilm. Methods Micro-dilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations （MICs） of sansanmycin, gentamycin, carbenicillin, polymyxin B, roxithromycin, piperacillin, and tazobactam. PAl and PA27853 biofilms were observed under optical microscope after staining and under SEM after treatment with sansanmycin at different dosages and combined treatment with sansanmycin and roxithromycin. Viable bacteria in PAl and PA27853 biofilms were counted after treatment with sansanmycin at different dosages or combined treatment with sansanmycin and roxithromycin. Results The MIC of sansanmycin was lower than that of gentamycin and polymyxin B, but was higher than that of carbenicillin. Roxithromycin enhanced the penetration of sansanmycin to PAl and PA27853 strains through biofilms. PAl and PA27853 biofilms were gradually cleared with the increased dosages of sansanmycin or with the combined sansanmycin and roxithromycin. Conclusion Sub-MIC levels of roxithromycin and sansanmycin substantially inhibit the generation of biofilms and proliferation of bacteria. Therefore, combined antibiotics can be used in treatment of intractable bacterial infection.

Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbon by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

A bacterial strain of the genus Pseudomonas aeruginosa was inoculated into a hydrocarbon culture medium and incubated for a definite period of time. The ability of the bacterial strain to biodegrade a hydrocarbon, viz. n-hexadecane, was evaluated through determining the hexadecane concentration in the inoculated culture medium on a gas chromatograph (GC). The effect of pH value on the degrading ability of the bacterial isolate and the impact of temperature on microbial growth were also explored. Test results showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was markedly effective in biodegrading n-hexadecane. Furthermore, the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to biodegrade n-hexadecane was different at various pH values. Pseudomonas aeruginosa provided excellent degrading ability at a pH value of 7.0. The microbial cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa increased with an increasing incubation duration at temperatures ranging from 28 ℃ to 35 ℃, and an exponential phase of microbial growth was observed.

Infl uence of nitrate concentrations on EH40 steel corrosion aff ected by coexistence of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria

Nitrate addition is a common bio-competitive exclusion(BCE)method to mitigate corrosion in produced water reinjection systems,which can aff ect microbial community compositions,especially nitrate and sulfate reducing bacteria,but its eff ectiveness is in controversy.We investigated the infl uence of nitrate concentrations on EH40 steel corrosion aff ected by coexistence of Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.Results demonstrate that only mixed bacteria or nitrate had little eff ect on EH40 steel corrosion,and nitrate could accelerate the corrosion of EH40 steel through the action of microorganisms.The corrosion promotion of nitrate was dependent on its concentrations,which increased from 0 to 5 g/L and decreased from 5 to 50 g/L.These diff erences were believed to be related to the regulation of nitrate in the growth of bacteria and biofi lms.Therefore,care must be taken to BCE method with nitrate when nitrate reducing bacteria with high corrosive activity are present in the environments.

Optimizing rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 grown on waste frying oil using response surface method and batch-fed fermentation

Rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 with waste frying oil as sole carbon source was studied using response surface method. Cultures were incubated in shaking flask with temperature, NO3- and Mg2+ concentrations as the variables. Meanwhile, fed-batch fermentation experiments were conducted. The results show that the three variables are closely related to rhamnolipid production. The optimal cultivation conditions are of 6.4 g/L NaNO3 , 3.1 g/L MgSO4 at 32 ℃, with the maximum rhamnolipid production of 6.6 g/L. The results of fed-batch fermentation experiments show that feeding the oil in two batches can enhance rhamnolipid production. The best time interval is 72 h with the maximum rhamnolipid production of 8.5 g/L. The data are potentially useful for mass production of rhamnolipid on oil waste with this bacterium.

Validation of PCR for the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from corneal samples

AIM: To determine a species-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to detect Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA),a secondary DNA target for PA that may provide a universal target for other bacterial pathogens,and validate both assays for diagnostic testing.METHODS: PCR detection was established against the ecfX PA gene and the 16S rRNA gene using known PA keratitis isolates.The outcome parameters for both assays were 'limit of detection' (LOD),amplification efficiency (AE),and PAGE amplified product analysis.Both assays were validated against 20 true-positive clinical samples positive for PA DNA and 20 true-negative samples containing no PA DNA.Descriptive statistics and PAGE analysis were used as outcome parameters.RESULTS: AE of the ecfX assay was 96.6%,and LOD was 33.6 copies of target DNA per microliter.AE of the 16S rRNA assay was 103.4%,and LOD was 8.12 copies per microliter.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value,and efficiency for the ecfX and 16S rRNA assays were [75%,95%,94%,79%,and 85%],and [70%,100%,100%,77%,and 85%],respectively.Both PCR assays were validated,followed by confirmation of DNA patterns from PAGE analysis.CONCLUSION: The PCR methodology described here may be a useful adjunct to standard methods in the diagnosis of PA keratitis.

Antibiotic resistance pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound isolates among Chinese burn patients:A systematic review and meta analysis

Objective:To investigate the resistance profiles to antimicrobial agents of wound-isolated Pseudomonas(P.)aeruginosa among Chinese burn patients.Methods:Electronic databases and manual search were used to identify eligible studies published since 2010.The objectives were pooled resistance rates for eleven common antimicrobial agents,estimated by a random-effects model.Subgroup analyses were conducted by stratifying the studies into three four-year periods based on year of isolation.Results:A total of 35 studies were included.Gentamicin had the highest pooled resistance rate(56%,95%CI 48%-64%),while meropenem had the lowest pooled resistance rate(29%,95%CI 20%-40%).There was an increasing trend of resistance to common antimicrobial agents of wound-isolated P.aeruginosa over a span of twelve years(2009-2020).There remained the highest risk of gentamicin resistance over time in China.Subgroup analyses indicated significantly higher resistances to ceftazidime and levofloxacin from 2017 to 2020.Conclusions:Enhanced resistance to common antimicrobial agents in wound-isolated P.aeruginosa presents a challenge in burn wound management in China's Mainland.Effective stewardship programs should be established based on corresponding resistance profiles,thereby optimizing treatment options for hospitalized burn patients.

Role of MexA-MexB-OprM Efflux Pump System in Chronic Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Pulmonary Infection in Mice

In order to investigate the role of the MexA-MexB-OprM efflux pump system in the pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)-induced pulmonary infection,pulmonary infection models were established by intratracheal injection of K767(wild type),nalB(MexA-MexB-OprM up-regulated mutant),and △m exB(knockout) strains,separately.All mice were treated with Meropenem(intraperitoneal injection,100 mg/kg body weight,twice every day),and strain-related pathology,bacteria count,cytokine level,myeloperoxidase(MPO,indicator of neutrophil recruitment) activity,and macrophage inflammatory protein-2(MIP-2) expression were evaluated at early(3rd day post-infection) and late(7th and 14th day post-infection) stages of infection.E-test showed that △mexB was more significantly sensitive to panipenan(ETP),meropenem(MP) and imipenem(IP) than K767 and nalB strains.There was no significant difference in sensitivity to cefepime(TM) among the three stains.In contrast to the K767 and nalB groups,the △ mexB group showed decreased bacteria burden over time and less extensive pathological change.Additionally,MPO activity and levels of inflammatory cytokines(IL-1b,IL-12,and TNF-α) were increased at the early stage(day 3) and decreased at the later stage(day 14).Serum MIP-2 expression level was steadily increased in all three groups from early to late stages,but significantly higher in △m exB group than in K767 and nalB groups(P<0.05).In conclusion,the MexA-MexB-OprM efflux pump system might play an important role in PA-induced chronic pulmonary infection.High expression of the MexA-MexB-OprM efflux pump could increase antibacterial resistance and promote infection.

Orf1/SpcS Chaperones ExoS for Type Three Secretion by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Objective Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous and opportunistic pathogen that uses the type Ⅲ secretion system （TTSS） to inject effector proteins directly into the cytosol of target cells to subvert the host cell＇s functions. Specialized bacterial chaperones are required for effective secretion of some effectors. To identify the chaperone of ExoS, the representative effector secreted by the TTSS of P aeruginosa, we analyzed the role of a postulated chaperone termed Orfl. Methods By allelic exchange, we constructed the mutant with the deletion of gene Orfl. Analysis of secreted and cell-associated fractions was performed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Using strain expressing in trans Orfl, tagged by V5 polypeptide and histidine, protein-protein interaction was determined by affinity resin pull-down assay in combination with MALDI-TOF The role of Orfl in the expression of exoS was evaluated by gene reporter analysis. Results Pull-down assay showed that Orfl binds to ExoS and ExoT. Secretion profile analysis showed that Orfl was necessary for the optimal secretion of ExoS and ExoT. However, Orfl had no effect on the expression of exoS. Conclusion Orfl is important for the secretion of ExoS probably by maintaining ExoS in a secretion-competent conformation. We propose to name Orfl as SpcS for ＂specific Pseudomonas chaperone for ExoS＂.