Pseudomonas aeruginosa Promotes Persistence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia via Increased Adherence to Depolarized Respiratory Epithelium
Melissa S. McDaniel, Natalie R. Lindgren, Caitlin E. Billiot, Kristina N. Valladares, Nicholas A. Sumpter, W. Edward Swords
Abstract
Despite advances in treatment options for people with CF, complications of bacterial infections remain the greatest driver of morbidity and mortality in this patient population. These infections often involve more than one bacterial pathogen, and our understanding of how interspecies interactions impact disease progression is lacking. Previous work in our lab found that two CF pathogens, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can work together in the lung to cause more severe infection. In the present study, we found that infection with P. aeruginosa promotes persistence of S. maltophilia by interfering with epithelial barrier integrity. Depolarization of the epithelial cell layer by P. aeruginosa-secreted elastase increased S. maltophilia adherence, likely in a type IV pilus-dependent manner. Ultimately, this work sheds light on the molecular mechanisms governing an important multispecies interaction seen in pulmonary diseases such as CF.