Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Generation of In-Frame Gene Deletion Mutants in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Testing for Virulence Attenuation in a Simple Mouse Model of Infection
08:34

Generation of In-Frame Gene Deletion Mutants in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Testing for Virulence Attenuation in a Simple Mouse Model of Infection

Published on: January 8, 2020

7.4K

Genes Required for Free Phage Production are Essential for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Chronic Lung Infections

Andrée-Ann Lemieux1, Julie Jeukens1, Irena Kukavica-Ibrulj1

  • 1Institut de biologie intégrative et des systèmes, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada.

The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|August 14, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Temperate phages in Pseudomonas aeruginosa are crucial for chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Disrupting these phages significantly reduces bacterial virulence and alters gene expression, highlighting their role in infection establishment.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen causing chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients.
  • The Liverpool Epidemic Strain (LESB58) is antibiotic-resistant, transmissible, and linked to severe patient outcomes.
  • LESB58 harbors 6 prophages and 5 genomic islands, potential targets for understanding infection dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of prophages and genomic islands in the in vivo maintenance and virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LESB58.
  • To identify specific genes within prophages and genomic islands essential for chronic lung infection establishment.
  • To elucidate the impact of prophage disruption on bacterial gene expression and phage production.

Main Methods:

  • Construction of a large-scale polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based signature-tagged mutagenesis library of 9216 LESB58 mutants.
  • Screening of mutants in a rat model of chronic lung infection to identify those defective for in vivo maintenance.
  • Whole-genome sequencing and transcription profiling (quantitative PCR and RNA-Seq) of selected mutants.

Main Results:

  • 162 mutants were defective for in vivo maintenance, with 11 having insertions in prophage or genomic island genes.
  • Mutants with disrupted prophages exhibited diminished virulence and reduced phage production.
  • Prophage disruption led to widespread trans-acting effects on the bacterial transcriptome, indicating significant regulatory roles.

Conclusions:

  • Temperate phages are pivotal in establishing Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic lung infections.
  • Prophages modulate bacterial host gene expression, influencing virulence and infection persistence.
  • Targeting prophage-host interactions presents a potential strategy for combating chronic P. aeruginosa infections.
Keywords:
Pseudomonas aeruginosabacteriophageschronic infectiongene expressionrespiratory healthvirulence

More Related Videos

Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics09:23

Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics

Published on: January 5, 2024

2.8K
Long Term Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Airway Infection in Mice15:43

Long Term Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Airway Infection in Mice

Published on: March 17, 2014

24.2K

Related Concept Videos

DNA Bacteriophages01:26

DNA Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria, utilizing their genetic material to hijack host cellular machinery for replication. DNA bacteriophages employ single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes. These phages exhibit diverse replication strategies and host interactions, influencing their ecological roles and applications in biotechnology and medicine.ssDNA BacteriophagesssDNA phages, with their small genomes, utilize unique strategies to...
1.5K
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
895
Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages00:43

Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages

In contrast to the lytic cycle, phages infecting bacteria via the lysogenic cycle do not immediately kill their host cell. Instead, they combine their genome with the host genome, allowing the bacteria to replicate the phage DNA along with the bacterial genome. The incorporated copy of the phage genome is called the prophage. Some prophages can re-activate and enter the lytic cycle. This often occurs in response to a perturbation, such as DNA damage, but can also transpire in the absence of...
69.6K