Detection of N-acylhomoserine lactones in lung tissues of mice infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa

• Published in: Microbiology (Society for General Microbiology) 2000-10, Vol.146 (10), p.2481-2493
• Main Authors: Wu, Hong, Song, Zhijun, Hentzer, Morten, Andersen, Jens Bo, Heydorn, Arne, Mathee, Kalai, Moser, Claus, Eberl, Leo, Molin, Soren, Hoiby, Niels, Givskov, Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 4-Butyrolactone - analogs & derivatives; 4-Butyrolactone - genetics; 4-Butyrolactone - metabolism; Animals; Bacterial diseases; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Cystic Fibrosis - microbiology; Disease Models, Animal; Experimental bacterial diseases and models; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Green Fluorescent Proteins; Humans; Infectious diseases; Luminescent Proteins - genetics; Luminescent Proteins - metabolism; Lung - metabolism; Lung - microbiology; Lung - pathology; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred CBA; Microbiology; N-Acyl homoserine lactone; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - genetics; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - metabolism; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - pathogenicity; Pseudomonas Infections - metabolism; Pseudomonas Infections - microbiology; Pseudomonas Infections - pathology; Signal Transduction
• ISSN: 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/00221287-146-10-2481

Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen Ø, DK-2100, Denmark 1 Department of Microbiology, the Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby,DK-2800, Denmark 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, University Park, Miami, FL 33199, USA 3 Lehrstuhl fur Mikrobiologie, Technische Universitat Munchen, Freising D-85350, Germany 4 Author for correspondence: Michael Givskov. Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. e-mail: immg{at}pop.dtu.dk The pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with expression of virulence factors, many of which are controlled by two N -acylhomoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum-sensing systems. Escherichia coli strains equipped with a luxR -based monitor system expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the presence of exogenous AHL molecules were used to detect the production of AHLs from P. aeruginosa in vivo . Mice were challenged intratracheally with alginate beads containing P. aeruginosa and E. coli and killed on different days after the challenge. By means of confocal scanning laser microscopy, GFP-expressing E. coli bacteria could be detected in the lung tissues, indicating production and excretion of AHL molecules in vivo by the infecting P. aeruginosa . AHL signals were detected mainly in lung tissues exhibiting severe pathological changes. These findings support the view that expression of AHL molecules by P. aeruginosa during infection coincides with its pathogenesis. Keywords: AHL, quorum sensing, green fluorescent protein (GFP), mouse model, lung infection Abbreviations: AHL, N -acylhomoserine lactone (BHL, N -butanoyl-, HHL, N -hexanoyl-, OdDHL, N -(3-oxododecanoyl)-, ODHL, N -(3-oxodecanoyl)-, OHHL, N -(3-oxohexanoyl)-, OHL, N -octanoylhomoserine lactone); CF, cystic fibrosis; CSLM, confocal scanning laser microscopy; GFP, green fluorescent protein; PMN, polymorphonuclear leukocyte