<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> kills <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> in a polyphosphate-dependent manner.

ABSTRACT: Due to their frequent coexistence in many polymicrobial infections, including in patients with cystic fibrosis or burn/chronic wounds, many studies have investigated the mechanistic details of the interaction between the opportunistic pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. P. aeruginosa rapidly outcompetes S. aureus under in vitro cocultivation conditions, which is mediated by several of P. aeruginosa's virulence factors. Here, we report that polyphosphate (polyP), an efficient stress defense system and virulence factor in P. aeruginosa, plays a role in the pathogen's ability to inhibit and kill S. aureus in a contact-independent manner. We show that P. aeruginosa cells characterized by low polyP levels are

SUBMITTER: Shah R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11520310 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature