Pseudomonas quinolone signal affects membrane vesicle production in not only gram-negative but also gram-positive bacteria

PqsR-dependent and PqsR-independent regulation of motility and biofilm formation by PQS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen capable of group behaviors including swarming motility and biofilm formation. Swarming motility plays an important role in the bacterium's spread to new environments, attachment to surfaces, and biofilm formation. Bacterial biofilm is associated with many persistent infections and increased resistance to antibiotics. In this study, we tested the effect of a 2-alkyl-4(1H)-quinolone (AHQ) signal, the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) on P. aeruginosa swarming and biofilm formation. Our results show that PQS repressed the swarming motility of P. aeruginosa PAO1. Such repression was independent of its cognate receptor PqsR and was not related to changes in the flagellae, type IV pili or the production of the surface-wetting agent rhamnolipid surfactant. While PQS did not affect twitching motility in PAO1, a pqsR deletion abolished twitching motility, indicating that pqsR is required for twitching motility. Our results also indicate that the enhancement of biofilm formation by PQS is at least partially dependent on the GacAS-Rsm regulatory pathway but does not involve the las or rhl QS systems.

Interspecies interaction between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other microorganisms

Microbes interact with each other in multicellular communities and this interaction enables certain microorganisms to survive in various environments. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a highly adaptable bacterium that ubiquitously inhabits diverse environments including soil, marine habitats, plants and animals. Behind this adaptivity, P. aeruginosa has abilities not only to outcompete others but also to communicate with each other to develop a multispecies community. In this review, we focus on how P. aeruginosa interacts with other microorganisms. P. aeruginosa secretes antimicrobial chemicals to compete and signal molecules to cooperate with other organisms. In other cases, it directly conveys antimicrobial enzymes to other bacteria using the Type VI secretion system (T6SS) or membrane vesicles (MVs). Quorum sensing is a central regulatory system used to exert their ability including antimicrobial effects and cooperation with other microbes. At least three quorum sensing systems are found in P. aeruginosa, Las, Rhl and Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) systems. These quorum-sensing systems control the synthesis of extracellular antimicrobial chemicals as well as interaction with other organisms via T6SS or MVs. In addition, we explain the potential of microbial interaction analysis using several micro devices, which would bring fresh sensitivity to the study of interspecies interaction between P. aeruginosa and other organisms.

Membrane vesicle formation as a multiple-stress response mechanism enhances Pseudomonas putida DOT-T1E cell surface hydrophobicity and biofilm formation

Among the adaptive responses of bacteria to rapid changes in environmental conditions, those of the cell envelope are known to be the most crucial. Therefore, several mechanisms with which bacteria change their cell surface and membranes in the presence of different environmental stresses have been elucidated. Among these mechanisms, the release of outer membrane vesicles (MV) in Gram-negative bacteria has attracted particular research interest because of its involvement in pathogenic processes, such as that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation in cystic fibrosis lungs. In this study, we investigated the role of MV formation as an adaptive response of Pseudomonas putida DOT-T1E to several environmental stress factors and correlated it to the formation of biofilms. In the presence of toxic concentrations of long-chain alcohols, under osmotic stress caused by NaCl, in the presence of EDTA, and after heat shock, cells of this strain released MV within 10 min in the presence of a stressor. The MV formed showed similar size and charge properties, as well as comparable compositions of proteins and fatty acids. MV release caused a significant increase in cell surface hydrophobicity, and an enhanced tendency to form biofilms was demonstrated in this study. Therefore, the release of MV as a stress response could be put in a physiological context.

Membrane vesicle release in bacteria, eukaryotes, and archaea: a conserved yet underappreciated aspect of microbial life

Interaction of microbes with their environment depends on features of the dynamic microbial surface throughout cell growth and division. Surface modifications, whether used to acquire nutrients, defend against other microbes, or resist the pressures of a host immune system, facilitate adaptation to unique surroundings. The release of bioactive membrane vesicles (MVs) from the cell surface is conserved across microbial life, in bacteria, archaea, fungi, and parasites. MV production occurs not only in vitro but also in vivo during infection, underscoring the influence of these surface organelles in microbial physiology and pathogenesis through delivery of enzymes, toxins, communication signals, and antigens recognized by the innate and adaptive immune systems. Derived from a variety of organisms that span kingdoms of life and called by several names (membrane vesicles, outer membrane vesicles [OMVs], exosomes, shedding microvesicles, etc.), the conserved functions and mechanistic strategies of MV release are similar, including the use of ESCRT proteins and ESCRT protein homologues to facilitate these processes in archaea and eukaryotic microbes. Although forms of MV release by different organisms share similar visual, mechanistic, and functional features, there has been little comparison across microbial life. This underappreciated conservation of vesicle release, and the resulting functional impact throughout the tree of life, explored in this review, stresses the importance of vesicle-mediated processes throughout biology.

Multifunctional membrane vesicles in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Gram-negative bacteria secrete small particles called membrane vesicles (MVs) into the extracellular milieu. While MVs have important roles in delivering toxins from pathogenic bacteria to eukaryotic cells, these vesicles also play ecological roles necessary for survival in various environmental conditions. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which lives in soil, ocean, plant, animal and human environments, has become a model organism for studying these small extracellular particles. Such studies have increased our understanding of the function and biogenesis of bacterial MVs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa MVs possess versatile components and chemical substances with unique structures. These characteristics allow MVs to play their multifunctional biological roles, including microbial interaction, maintenance of biofilm structure and host infection. This review summarizes the comprehensive biochemical and physiochemical properties of MVs derived from P. aeruginosa. These studies will help us understand their biological roles of MVs not only in pathogenicity but also in microbial ecology. Also, the mechanisms of MV production, as currently understood, are discussed.

A great leap forward in microbial ecology

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequence-based molecular techniques emerged in the late 1980s, which completely changed our general view of microbial life. Coincidentally, the Japanese Society of Microbial Ecology (JSME) was founded, and its official journal "Microbes and Environments (M&E)" was launched, in 1985. Thus, the past 25 years have been an exciting and fruitful period for M&E readers and microbiologists as demonstrated by the numerous excellent papers published in M&E. In this minireview, recent progress made in microbial ecology and related fields is summarized, with a special emphasis on 8 landmark areas; the cultivation of uncultured microbes, in situ methods for the assessment of microorganisms and their activities, biofilms, plant microbiology, chemolithotrophic bacteria in early volcanic environments, symbionts of animals and their ecology, wastewater treatment microbiology, and the biodegradation of hazardous organic compounds.

The Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS), and its precursor HHQ, modulate interspecies and interkingdom behaviour

The Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS), and its precursor 2-heptyl-4-quinolone (HHQ), play a key role in coordinating virulence in the important cystic fibrosis pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The discovery of HHQ analogues in Burkholderia and other microorganisms led us to investigate the possibility that these compounds can influence interspecies behaviour. We found that surface-associated phenotypes were repressed in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as in pathogenic yeast in response to PQS and HHQ. Motility was repressed in a broad range of bacteria, while biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans was repressed in the presence of HHQ, though initial adhesion was unaffected. Furthermore, HHQ exhibited potent bacteriostatic activity against several Gram-negative bacteria, including pathogenic Vibrio vulnificus. Structure-function analysis using synthetic analogues provided an insight into the molecular properties that underpin the ability of these compounds to influence microbial behaviour, revealing the alkyl chain to be fundamental. Defining the influence of these molecules on microbial-eukaryotic-host interactions will facilitate future therapeutic strategies which seek to combat microorganisms that are recalcitrant to conventional antimicrobial agents.

Lipoproteins binding malachite green to slow the decolorization of malachite green in Pseudomonas sp. JT-1

Lipoproteins of a malachite green (MG)-decolorizing bacterium Pseudomonas sp. JT-1 could bind MG to form green MG-Lipoproteins complexes, which prevented the decolorization of MG by triphenylmethane reductase.