Extracellular Vesicles of Pseudomonas: Friends and Foes

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (Evs) are small spherical vesicles capable of transporting molecules (such as proteins, nucleic acids and lipids) from one cell to another. They have been implicated in processes such as cell-to-cell communication, pathogenicity, biofilm formation and metabolism. In parallel, Evs have been proposed as interesting biotechnological tools. In recent years, antibiotic resistance has become a major problem for human health worldwide. A pathogen singled out as among the most lethal antibiotic-resistant organisms is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important Gram-negative bacterium that has been extensively studied for the production and characterization of Evs. Here, we describe the advances made in the last decade regarding understanding of the role of Evs in the pathogenicity of Pseudomonas. We also examine the potential of Evs for the development of new treatment strategies.

The Role of Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles in the Immune Response to Pathogens, and Therapeutic Opportunities

“…Characterization of the EVs proteome of Shigella flexneri 2A has identified at least 148 proteins and components in common with the EVs of Gram-negative bacteria [ 43 ]. OMV production has been widely described in Gram-negative bacteria, including the EVs of Shigella dysenteriae [ 44 ], H. pylori [ 45 ], P. aeruginosa [ 46 , 47 ], K. pneumoniae [ 40 , 48 ], E. coli [ 49 , 50 ] and other bacteria of this group [ 29 , 39 ]. The presence of molecules from the periplasmic space and the outer membrane has been demonstrated, which is a distinctive feature of OMVs.…”

Microbe-host interactions: structure and functions of Gram-negative bacterial membrane vesicles

“…Disruption of the crosslink between the peptidoglycan and the outer membrane, resulting in their separation. Moreover, the buildup of peptidoglycan fragments or misfolded proteins has been observed in the literature, resulting in bulking pressure on the outer membrane and, eventually, OMVs freedom ( Henriquez and Falciani, 2023 ). The population-sensing quinolone signaling (PQS) molecules induce OMVs production by inserting into the outer membrane and mediating its packing and transport, and when PQS in the outer leaflets is cumulative thought to change curvature ( Florez et al, 2017 ).…”