The transcriptional regulators of virulence for Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Therapeutic opportunity and preventive potential of its clinical infections

Abstract

In Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), transcription factors (TFs) are important mediators in the genetic regulation of adaptability and pathogenicity to respond to multiple environmental stresses and host defences. The P. aeruginosa genome harbours 371 putative TFs; of these, about 70 have been shown to regulate virulence-associated phenotypes by binding to the promoters of their target genes. Over the past three decades, several techniques have been applied to identify TF binding sites on the P. aeruginosa genome, and an atlas of TF binding patterns has been mapped. The virulence-associated regulons of TFs show complex crosstalk in P. aeruginosa's regulatory network. In this review, we summarise the recent literature on TF regulatory networks involved in the quorum-sensing system, biofilm formation, pyocyanin synthesis, motility, the type III secretion system, the type VI secretion system, and oxidative stress responses. We discuss future perspectives that could provide insights and targets for preventing clinical infections caused by P. aeruginosa based on the global regulatory network of transcriptional regulators.

Keywords

• Crosstalk
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Regulatory network
• Transcriptional regulators
• Virulence