Abstract
Bacteria form multicellular and resistant structures named biofilms. Biofilm formation starts with the attachment phase, and the molecular actors involved in this phase, except adhesins, are poorly characterized. There is growing evidence that phospholipids are more than simple structural bricks. They are involved in bacterial adaptive physiology, but little is known about their role in biofilm formation. Here, we report a mass spectrometry analysis of the phospholipid (PL) profile of several strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from cystic fibrosis patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate a possible link between the PL profile of a strain and its attachment phenotype. Our results showed that PL profile is strongly strain-dependent. The PL profile of P. aeruginosa PAO1, a collection strain, was different from those of 10 clinical isolates characterized either by a very low or a very high attachment capacity. We observed also that the clinical strain’s PL profiles varied even more importantly between isolates. By comparing groups of strains having similar attachment capacities, we identified one PL, PE 18:1-18:1, as a potential molecular actor involved in attachment, the first step in biofilm formation. This PL represents a possible target in the fight against biofilms.
Highlights
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen able to adapt to numerous environments
Differences among the Phospholipidomes of the P. aeruginosa Clinical Strains. Besides their differences with P. aeruginosa PAO1, our results revealed a high heterogeneity among the PLDs of clinical strains
The attachment ment phase encompasses all the events permitting bacteria to come onto contact with a surface and switch from a planktonic to a sessile state, resulting in its irreversible atphase encompasses all the events permitting bacteria to come onto contact with a surface and switch from a planktonic to a sessile state, resulting in its irreversible attachment onto this surface
Summary
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen able to adapt to numerous environments This bacteria belongs to the ESKAPE group of pathogens that exhibit multidrug resistance and virulence [1]. It is classified by the World Health Organization among the top three “critical pathogens” for which new antibiotics are urgently needed and research is encouraged to decipher the mechanisms involved in antibiotic recalcitrance [2,3]. Having positive applications in biotechnology [5], biofilms are the source of many problems in industrial settings or on medical materials. Combating their formation is a necessity from both an economic and a public health point of view [6]
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