EprS, an autotransporter serine protease, exerts pleiotropic effects on various pathogenic phenotypes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08483
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Bacteriology (including mycology)
• Research Institution: Kurume University
• Principal Investigator: KIDA YUTAKA 久留米大学, 医学部, 准教授 (30309752)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 緑膿菌 / オートトランスポーター / プロテアーゼ / 病原性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We previously demonstrated that EprS, an autotransporter serine protease of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, induces host inflammatory responses through protease-activated receptors. However, little is known about the role of EprS as a virulence factor of P. aeruginosa. In this study, to investigate whether EprS participates in the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa, we characterized various pathogenic phenotypes of the wild-type PAO1 strain and its eprS-disrupted mutant. Our results indicated that eprS plays a role in the growth of P. aeruginosa in the presence of limited nutrients such as a medium containing proteinaceous materials as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. Furthermore, the isogenic eprS mutant showed an attenuation of virulence in leucopenic mice as compared with the wild-type strain. Collectively, these results suggest that EprS exerts pleiotropic effects on various pathogenic phenotypes of P. aeruginosa.

Free Research Field

細菌学