Roles of Two-Component Systems in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence

Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Nov 10;22(22):12152. doi: 10.3390/ijms222212152.

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that synthesizes and secretes a wide range of virulence factors. P. aeruginosa poses a potential threat to human health worldwide due to its omnipresent nature, robust host accumulation, high virulence, and significant resistance to multiple antibiotics. The pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa, which is associated with acute and chronic infections, is linked with multiple virulence factors and associated secretion systems, such as the ability to form and utilize a biofilm, pili, flagella, alginate, pyocyanin, proteases, and toxins. Two-component systems (TCSs) of P. aeruginosa perform an essential role in controlling virulence factors in response to internal and external stimuli. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of TCSs to perceive and respond to signals from the environment and control the production of virulence factors during infection is essential to understanding the diseases caused by P. aeruginosa infection and further develop new antibiotics to treat this pathogen. This review discusses the important virulence factors of P. aeruginosa and the understanding of their regulation through TCSs by focusing on biofilm, motility, pyocyanin, and cytotoxins.

Keywords: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; biofilm; cytotoxins; motility; pyocyanin; two-component system (tcs); virulence.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biofilms / growth & development*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Persistent Infection* / genetics
  • Persistent Infection* / metabolism
  • Persistent Infection* / microbiology
  • Pseudomonas Infections* / genetics
  • Pseudomonas Infections* / metabolism
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa* / genetics
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa* / pathogenicity
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa* / physiology
  • Pyocyanine* / biosynthesis
  • Pyocyanine* / genetics
  • Virulence Factors* / biosynthesis
  • Virulence Factors* / genetics

Substances

  • Virulence Factors
  • Pyocyanine