Collective decision-making in Pseudomonas aeruginosa involves transient segregation of quorum-sensing activities across cells

Jayakumar, Priyanikha; Thomas, Stephen; Brown, Sam P.; Kümmerli, Rolf

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.052

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…We conducted two follow-up experiments to validate our main observations that P. aeruginosa upregulates T6SS and pyoverdine genes under iron-rich conditions, and phenazine and hydrogen cyanide genes under iron-limited conditions (see Supplementary Information). First, we constructed four reporter strains, in which we cloned the promoter region of icmF1 (T6SS structure component gene), pvdA (pyoverdine synthesis gene), phzA1 (phenazine synthesis gene), and hcnA (hydrogen cyanide synthesis gene) in front of a gfp (green fluorescent protein) reporter gene 62 . We subjected these reporter strains to the same treatments used in the RNA-Seq experiment and followed GFP expression over time (Supplementary Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To validate the RNA-Seq results, we looked at the expression of specific genes using fluorescent gene-expression reporter strains. These strains were constructed following the protocol from Jayakumar et al 62 . Briefly, we chromosomally integrated a transcriptional reporter fusion (in which the promoter of the gene of interest was fused to the fluorescent gene marker GFP) into the P. aeruginosa PAO1 wild type strain.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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RNA-Seq reveals thatPseudomonas aeruginosamounts growth medium-dependent competitive responses when sensing diffusible cues fromBurkholderia cenocepacia

Leinweber

Laffont

Lardi

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Most habitats on earth are colonized by diverse bacterial communities, offering ample opportunities for inter-species interactions. While competition for space and nutrients might often dominate such interactions, little is known about whether bacteria can sense competitors and mount specific responses to withstand their attacks. The competition-sensing hypothesis proposes that bacteria can do so through nutrient stress and cell damage cues. Here, we conducted a replicated RNAseq-transcriptomic study to test this hypothesis. We exposed Pseudomonas aeruginosa to either its own spent medium or to the supernatant of its competitor Burkholderia cenocepacia. Compared to controls, we detected significant changes in the transcriptome of P. aeruginosa that entail both general responses to spent medium and specific responses to the competitor. Specifically, genes encoding various competitive traits, including the type-VI secretion system, the siderophore pyoverdine, and the toxins phenazines and hydrogen cyanide, were upregulated when exposed to the competitor supernatant. Similarly, several genes coding for stress response and quorum-sensing regulators were overexpressed. Moreover, we found transcriptional responses to vary as a function of iron availability, whereby metabolically more costly responses were launched under iron rich conditions. Altogether, our results reveal nuanced competitive responses of P. aeruginosa when exposed to B. cenocepacia supernatant, integrating both environmental and social cues.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

RNA-Seq reveals thatPseudomonas aeruginosamounts growth medium-dependent competitive responses when sensing diffusible cues fromBurkholderia cenocepacia

Leinweber

Laffont

Lardi

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…Understanding QS at the single-cell level offers critical insights into bacterial communication that bulk experiments cannot capture. QS heterogeneity or bimodality has been documented, indicating a mix of QS-activated and -inactivated states within bacterial populations 11,15,16 . However, these observations were typically derived indirectly using bulk cultures – either grown on agar or in liquid media – where QS signals could accumulate or establish spatial gradients, which can mask the dynamics of QS by allowing bacteria to experience different local conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Single-cell approach dissectingagrquorum sensing dynamics inStaphylococcus aureus

Bär,

Charlton,

Tarnutzer

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Staphylococcus aureusboth colonizes humans and causes severe virulent infections. Virulence is regulated by theagrquorum sensing system and its autoinducing peptide (AIP), with dynamics at the single-cell level across fouragr-types – each defined by distinct AIP sequences and capable of cross-inhibition – remaining elusive. Employing microfluidics, time-lapse microscopy, and deep-learning image analysis, we uncovered significant differences in AIP sensitivity amongagr-types. We observed bimodalagractivation, attributed to intergenerational phenotypic stability and influenced by AIP concentration. Upon AIP stimulation,agr-IIIshowed AIP insensitivity, whileagr-IIexhibited increased sensitivity and prolonged generation time. Beyond expected cross-inhibition ofagr-Iby heterologous AIP-II and -III, the presumably cross-activating AIP-IV also inhibitedagr-I. Community interactions across differentagr-type pairings revealed four main patterns: stable or switched dominance, and delayed or stable dual activation, influenced by community characteristics. These insights underscore the potential of personalized treatment strategies considering virulence and genetic diversity.

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Evolutionary explanations for heterogeneous behavior in clonal bacterial populations

Kümmerli

Frank

2023

Trends in Microbiology

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Collective decision-making in Pseudomonas aeruginosa involves transient segregation of quorum-sensing activities across cells

Cited by 7 publications

References 60 publications

RNA-Seq reveals thatPseudomonas aeruginosamounts growth medium-dependent competitive responses when sensing diffusible cues fromBurkholderia cenocepacia

RNA-Seq reveals thatPseudomonas aeruginosamounts growth medium-dependent competitive responses when sensing diffusible cues fromBurkholderia cenocepacia

Single-cell approach dissectingagrquorum sensing dynamics inStaphylococcus aureus

Evolutionary explanations for heterogeneous behavior in clonal bacterial populations

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