Microorganisms (Apr 2022)

Socialization of <i>Providencia stuartii</i> Enables Resistance to Environmental Insults

  • Julie Lopes,
  • Guillaume Tetreau,
  • Kevin Pounot,
  • Mariam El Khatib,
  • Jacques-Philippe Colletier

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10050901
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 5
p. 901

Abstract

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Providencia stuartii is a highly social pathogen responsible for nosocomial chronic urinary tract infections. The bacterium indeed forms floating communities of cells (FCC) besides and prior-to canonical surface-attached biofilms (SAB). Within P. stuartii FCC, cells are riveted one to another owing to by self-interactions between its porins, viz. Omp-Pst1 and Omp-Pst2. In pathophysiological conditions, P. stuartii is principally exposed to high concentrations of urea, ammonia, bicarbonate, creatinine and to large variations of pH, questioning how these environmental cues affect socialization, and whether formation of SAB and FCC protects cells against those. Results from our investigations indicate that FCC and SAB can both form in the urinary tract, endowing cells with increased resistance and fitness. They additionally show that while Omp-Pst1 is the main gateway allowing penetration of urea, bicarbonate and ammonia into the periplasm, expression of Omp-Pst2 enables resistance to them.

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