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Specific type IV pili groups in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Gertrudis Horna1,2, Karina Quezada3, Susan Ramos3

  • 1Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, building CEK, C/Rosselló 149-153, 08036, Barcelona, Spain. gertrudis.horna@isglobal.org.

International Microbiology : the Official Journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology
|February 28, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Specific type IV pili (TFP) groups influence Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation and motility. TFP group III correlates with strong biofilm production and multidrug resistance in clinical isolates.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Genetics

Background:

  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen known for its adaptability.
  • Type IV pili (TFP) are crucial for various bacterial surface-associated behaviors.
  • Understanding TFP roles in virulence factors like biofilm and motility is clinically relevant.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between specific TFP groups and key P. aeruginosa phenotypes.
  • To determine the relationship between TFP, antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and motility in clinical isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Phenotypic assays for biofilm formation and motility.
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for TFP detection.
  • Disk diffusion method for antibiotic susceptibility testing.
  • Analysis of 190 clinical P. aeruginosa isolates.

Main Results:

  • High prevalence of biofilm formation (97.4%) and multidrug resistance (44.7%) observed.
  • Strong biofilm production was associated with multidrug resistance.
  • TFP group III linked to strong biofilm production; TFP group II and absence of TFP linked to weaker biofilm formation.
  • Distinct motility patterns observed: TFP group II associated with increased swarming, swimming, and twitching; TFP groups I and III showed reduced motility.

Conclusions:

  • Specific TFP groups significantly modulate P. aeruginosa biofilm production and motility.
  • TFP group III is associated with enhanced biofilm formation and multidrug resistance.
  • Findings underscore the clinical significance of TFP diversity in P. aeruginosa pathogenesis.
Keywords:
Bacterial motilityBiofilmMultidrug resistanceSwarmingSwimmingTwitching

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