Stenotrophomonas maltophilia of clinical origin display higher temperature tolerance comparing with environmental

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Laurita Klimkaitė1, Radvilė Drevinskaitė1, Karolis Krinickis1

  • 1Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.

Virulence
|May 2, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Environmental Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) can possess pathogenic traits. Clinical S. maltophilia isolates show enhanced biofilm formation and motility at human body temperature, distinguishing them from environmental strains.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis

Background:

  • Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multidrug-resistant, opportunistic pathogen causing difficult-to-treat infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.
  • While known as a clinical pathogen, S. maltophilia is also prevalent in natural environments, with its pathogenic potential largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate genotypic and phenotypic differences in virulence-related traits between clinical and environmental S. maltophilia isolates.
  • To determine if environmental S. maltophilia strains share pathogenic characteristics with clinical isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 40 environmental and 34 clinical S. maltophilia isolates.
  • Assessment of genotypic features, including antibiotic resistance and virulence-related genes.
  • Evaluation of phenotypic characteristics such as biofilm formation and twitching motility at human body temperature.

Main Results:

  • High genotypic diversity was observed in both clinical and environmental isolates.
  • Antibiotic resistance and virulence genes were more common in clinical isolates but present in many environmental strains.
  • Biofilm formation and twitching motility at human body temperature were significantly more prevalent in clinical isolates.

Conclusions:

  • Adaptation to human body temperature is a key feature distinguishing pathogenic clinical S. maltophilia from environmental strains.
  • Phenotypic traits like biofilm formation and motility at 37°C are crucial for differentiating environmental S. maltophilia from those causing clinical infections.
Keywords:
Stenotrophomonas maltophiliaantibiotic resistancegenotypinghost body temperatureopportunistic pathogenvirulence-related traits

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