Staphylococcal secreted cytotoxins are competition sensing signals for Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Grace Wang; Elizabeth Warren; Allison Haas; Andrea Sánchez Peña; Megan Kiedrowski; Brett Lomenick; Tsui-Fen Chou; Jennifer Bomberger; David Tirrell; Dominique Limoli

doi:10.1101/2023.01.29.526047

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Staphylococcal secreted cytotoxins are competition sensing signals for Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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Open access

Staphylococcal secreted cytotoxins are competition sensing signals for Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Grace Wang, Elizabeth Warren, Allison Haas, Andrea Sánchez Peña, Megan Kiedrowski, Brett Lomenick, Tsui-Fen Chou, Jennifer Bomberger, David Tirrell and Dominique Limoli

bioRxiv

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press

01/29/2023

DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.29.526047

PMCID: PMC9900984

PMID: 36747623

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https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.29.526047View

Preprint (Author's original)This preprint has not been evaluated by subject experts through peer review. Preprints may undergo extensive changes and/or become peer-reviewed journal articles. Open Access

Abstract

Coinfection with two notorious opportunistic pathogens, the Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, dominates chronic pulmonary infections. While coinfection is associated with poor patient outcomes, the interspecies interactions responsible for such decline remain unknown. Here, we dissected molecular mechanisms of interspecies sensing between P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. We discovered that P. aeruginosa senses S. aureus secreted peptides and, counterintuitively, moves towards these toxins. P. aeruginosa tolerates such a strategy through competition sensing, whereby it preempts imminent danger/competition by arming cells with type six secretion (T6S) and iron acquisition systems. Intriguingly, while T6S is predominantly described as weaponry targeting Gram-negative and eukaryotic cells, we find that T6S is essential for full P. aeruginosa competition with S. aureus, a previously undescribed role for T6S. Importantly, competition sensing was activated during coinfection of bronchial epithelia, including T6S islands targeting human cells. This study reveals critical insight into both interspecies competition and how antagonism may cause collateral damage to the host environment. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

Antagonism

Competition

Cytotoxins

Molecular modelling

Opportunist infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Staphylococcus aureus

Details

Title: Subtitle: Staphylococcal secreted cytotoxins are competition sensing signals for Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Creators: Grace Wang - California Institute of Technology
Elizabeth Warren - University of Iowa
Allison Haas - University of Pittsburgh
Andrea Sánchez Peña - University of Iowa
Megan Kiedrowski - University of Alabama at Birmingham
Brett Lomenick - California Institute of Technology
Tsui-Fen Chou - California Institute of Technology
Jennifer Bomberger - Dartmouth Hospital
David Tirrell - California Institute of Technology
Dominique Limoli - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Preprint
Publication Details: bioRxiv
DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.29.526047
PMID: 36747623
PMCID: PMC9900984
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; Cold Spring Harbor
Language: English
Date posted: 01/29/2023
Academic Unit: Microbiology and Immunology
Record Identifier: 9984365058802771

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