
Abstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of nosocomial infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients or in individuals with cystic fibrosis. Genome sequences reveal that most P. aeruginosa strains contain a significant number of accessory genes gathered in genomic islands. Those genes are essential for P. aeruginosa to invade new ecological niches with high levels of antibiotic usage, like hospitals, or to survive during host infection by providing pathogenicity determinants. P. aeruginosa pathogenicity island 1 (PAPI-1), one of the largest genomic islands, encodes several putative virulence factors, including toxins, biofilm genes and antibiotic-resistance traits. The integrative and conjugative element (ICE) PAPI-1 is horizontally transferable by conjugation via a specialized GI-T4SS, but the mechanism regulating this transfer is currently unknown. Here, we show that this GI-T4SS conjugative machinery is directly induced by TprA, a regulator encoded within PAPI-1. Our data indicate that the nucleotide associated protein NdpA2 acts in synergy with TprA, removing a repressive mechanism exerted by MvaT. In addition, using a transcriptomic approach, we unravelled the regulon controlled by Ndpa2/TprA and showed that they act as major regulators on the genes belonging to PAPI-1. Moreover, TprA and NdpA2 trigger an atypical biofilm structure and enhance ICE PAPI-1 transfer.
572, Gene Transfer, Horizontal, Genomic Islands, Transcription, Genetic, MESH: Trans-Activators, Virulence Factors, MESH: Biofilms, [SDV.BBM.GTP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Regulon, Horizontal, MESH: Gene Expression Profiling, Genetic, Bacterial Proteins, MESH: Genomic Islands, MESH: Gene Transfer, MESH: Bacterial Proteins, MESH: Virulence Factors, MESH: Conjugation, Molecular Biology/Genomics [q-bio.GN], Gene Expression Profiling, MESH: Transcription, Gene regulation, Chromatin and Epigenetics, Bacterial, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Chromosomes, Bacterial, MESH: Gene Expression Regulation, [SDV.MP.BAC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology, MESH: DNA Transposable Elements, Biofilms, Conjugation, Genetic, MESH: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MESH: Regulon, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, DNA Transposable Elements, Trans-Activators, [SDV.BBM.GTP] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Genomics [q-bio.GN], MESH: Chromosomes, [SDV.MP.BAC] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology
572, Gene Transfer, Horizontal, Genomic Islands, Transcription, Genetic, MESH: Trans-Activators, Virulence Factors, MESH: Biofilms, [SDV.BBM.GTP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Regulon, Horizontal, MESH: Gene Expression Profiling, Genetic, Bacterial Proteins, MESH: Genomic Islands, MESH: Gene Transfer, MESH: Bacterial Proteins, MESH: Virulence Factors, MESH: Conjugation, Molecular Biology/Genomics [q-bio.GN], Gene Expression Profiling, MESH: Transcription, Gene regulation, Chromatin and Epigenetics, Bacterial, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Chromosomes, Bacterial, MESH: Gene Expression Regulation, [SDV.MP.BAC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology, MESH: DNA Transposable Elements, Biofilms, Conjugation, Genetic, MESH: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MESH: Regulon, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, DNA Transposable Elements, Trans-Activators, [SDV.BBM.GTP] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Genomics [q-bio.GN], MESH: Chromosomes, [SDV.MP.BAC] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology
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| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
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