Mechanism of azithromycin inhibition of HSL synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Sci Rep. 2016 Apr 14:6:24299. doi: 10.1038/srep24299.

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of nosocomial infections. Unfortunately, P. aeruginosa has low antibiotic susceptibility due to several chromosomally encoded antibiotic resistance genes. Hence, we carried out mechanistic studies to determine how azithromycin affects quorum sensing and virulence in P. aeruginosa. lasI and rhlI single and double mutants were constructed. We then undertook a quantitative approach to determine the optimal concentration of azithromycin and culture time that can affect the expression of HSLs. Furthermore, based on the above results, the effect on quorum sensing was analyzed at a transcriptional level. It was found that 2 μg/mL azithromycin caused a 79% decrease in 3-oxo-C12-HSL secretion during cultivation, while C4-HSL secretion was strongly repressed in the early stages. Azithromycin acts on ribosomes; to determine whether this can elicit alternative modes of gene expression, transcriptional regulation of representative virulence genes was analyzed. We propose a new relationship for lasI and rhlI: lasI acts as a cell density sensor, and rhlI functions as a fine-tuning mechanism for coordination between different quorum sensing systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 4-Butyrolactone / analogs & derivatives*
  • 4-Butyrolactone / metabolism
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Azithromycin / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / drug effects
  • Ligases / biosynthesis
  • Ligases / genetics
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / metabolism*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / physiology
  • Quorum Sensing / drug effects
  • Transcription Factors / biosynthesis
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Virulence / drug effects

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • LasI protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Transcription Factors
  • homoserine lactone
  • Azithromycin
  • Ligases
  • RHLI protein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • 4-Butyrolactone