Chlorinated phenol-induced physiological antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium and an opportunistic pathogen with the ability to rapidly develop multidrug resistance under selective pressure. Previous work demonstrated that upon exposure to the environmental contaminant pentachlorophenol (PCP), P. aeruginosa PAO1 increases expression of multiple multidrug efflux pumps, including the MexAB-OprM pump. The current study describes increases in the antibiotic resistance of PAO1 upon exposure to PCP and other chlorinated organics, including triclosan. Only exposure to chlorinated phenols induced the mexAB-oprM-mediated antibiotic-resistant phenotype. Thus, chlorinated phenols have the potential to contribute to transient phenotypic increases of antibiotic resistance that are relevant when both compounds are present in the environment.