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Co-infecting microorganisms dramatically alter pathogen gene essentiality during polymicrobial infection
Carolyn B Ibberson1, Apollo Stacy1, Derek Fleming2
1Department of Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A5000, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
Nature Microbiology
|May 31, 2017
Summary
Studying Staphylococcus aureus in co-infections reveals that about 25% of its essential genes are not essential when Pseudomonas aeruginosa is present. This highlights the importance of understanding polymicrobial interactions for antimicrobial development.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Identifying essential genes in pathogens is crucial for developing new antimicrobials.
- Pathogen gene essentiality can change depending on the infection environment and the presence of other microbes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how co-infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa affects the essential genes of Staphylococcus aureus in a murine wound model.
- To identify 'community dependent essential' (CoDE) genes in S. aureus during polymicrobial infections.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-throughput transposon sequencing data analyzed with Monte Carlo simulations.
- Compared the essential genome of S. aureus during mono-infection versus co-infection with P. aeruginosa in murine surgical wounds.
Main Results:
- Approximately 25% of S. aureus genes essential during mono-infection became non-essential during co-infection with P. aeruginosa.
- Identified 182 S. aureus genes that are uniquely essential during co-infection, termed 'community dependent essential' (CoDE) genes.
Conclusions:
- Pathogen gene essentiality is highly context-dependent and significantly influenced by the microbial community.
- Studying pathogens within polymicrobial communities is vital for accurate antimicrobial target identification and development.
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