Journal article
Pseudomonas aeruginosa senses and responds to epithelial potassium flux via Kdp operon to promote biofilm
PLoS pathogens, Vol.20(5), e1011453
05/31/2024
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011453
PMCID: PMC11168685
PMID: 38820569
Abstract
Mucosa-associated biofilms are associated with many human disease states, but the host mechanisms promoting biofilm remain unclear. In chronic respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), Pseudomonas aeruginosa establishes chronic infection through biofilm formation. P. aeruginosa can be attracted to interspecies biofilms through potassium currents emanating from the biofilms. We hypothesized that P. aeruginosa could, similarly, sense and respond to the potassium efflux from human airway epithelial cells (AECs) to promote biofilm. Using respiratory epithelial co-culture biofilm imaging assays of P. aeruginosa grown in association with CF bronchial epithelial cells (CFBE41o-), we found that P. aeruginosa biofilm was increased by potassium efflux from AECs, as examined by potentiating large conductance potassium channel, BKCa (NS19504) potassium efflux. This phenotype is driven by increased bacterial attachment and increased coalescence of bacteria into aggregates. Conversely, biofilm formation was reduced when AECs were treated with a BKCa blocker (paxilline). Using an agar-based macroscopic chemotaxis assay, we determined that P. aeruginosa chemotaxes toward potassium and screened transposon mutants to discover that disruption of the high-sensitivity potassium transporter, KdpFABC, and the two-component potassium sensing system, KdpDE, reduces P. aeruginosa potassium chemotaxis. In respiratory epithelial co-culture biofilm imaging assays, a KdpFABCDE deficient P. aeruginosa strain demonstrated reduced biofilm growth in association with AECs while maintaining biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. Furthermore, we determined that the Kdp operon is expressed in vivo in people with CF and the genes are conserved in CF isolates. Collectively, these data suggest that P. aeruginosa biofilm formation can be increased by attracting bacteria to the mucosal surface and enhancing coalescence into microcolonies through aberrant AEC potassium efflux sensed by the KdpFABCDE system. These findings suggest host electrochemical signaling can enhance biofilm, a novel host-pathogen interaction, and potassium flux could be a therapeutic target to prevent chronic infections in diseases with mucosa-associated biofilms, like CF.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa senses and responds to epithelial potassium flux via Kdp operon to promote biofilm
- Creators
- Glenn J Rapsinski - University of PittsburghLia A Michaels - Dartmouth CollegeMadison Hill - Saint Vincent CollegeKaitlin D Yarrington - University of IowaAllison L Haas - University of PittsburghEmily J D'Amico - University of Pittsburgh School of MedicineCatherine R Armbruster - University of Pittsburgh School of MedicineAnna Zemke - University of Pittsburgh School of MedicineDominique Limoli - University of IowaJennifer M Bomberger - University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- PLoS pathogens, Vol.20(5), e1011453
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011453
- PMID
- 38820569
- PMCID
- PMC11168685
- ISSN
- 1553-7366
- eISSN
- 1553-7374
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/31/2024
- Academic Unit
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Record Identifier
- 9984634946102771
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