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Journal of Bacteriology, June 2002, p. 3027-3033, Vol. 184, No. 11
0021-9193/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.184.11.3027-3033.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence Analyzed in a Dictyostelium discoideum Host System

Pierre Cosson,1 Laurence Zulianello,1 Olivier Join-Lambert,2 François Faurisson,2 Leigh Gebbie,1 Mohammed Benghezal,1 Christian van Delden,3 Lasta Kocjancic Curty,3 and Thilo Köhler3*

Département de Morphologie,1 Département de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université de Genève, Centre Médical Universitaire, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland,3 INSERM-EMI-U 9933, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, Paris, France2

Received 12 November 2001/ Accepted 21 December 2001

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen that produces a variety of cell-associated and secreted virulence factors. P. aeruginosa infections are difficult to treat effectively because of the rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains. In this study, we analyzed whether the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum can be used as a simple model system to analyze the virulence of P. aeruginosa strains. The virulent wild-type strain PAO1 was shown to inhibit growth of D. discoideum. Isogenic mutants deficient in the las quorum-sensing system were almost as inhibitory as the wild type, while rhl quorum-sensing mutants permitted growth of Dictyostelium cells. Therefore, in this model system, factors controlled by the rhl quorum-sensing system were found to play a central role. Among these, rhamnolipids secreted by the wild-type strain PAO1 could induce fast lysis of D. discoideum cells. By using this simple model system, we predicted that certain antibiotic-resistant mutants of P. aeruginosa should show reduced virulence. This result was confirmed in a rat model of acute pneumonia. Thus, D. discoideum could be used as a simple nonmammalian host system to assess pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Département de Génétique et Microbiologie, Université de Genève, Centre Med. Universitaire, 1 Rue Michel Servet, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland. Phone: (41) 22 702.56.55. Fax: (41) 22 702.57.02. E-mail: Thilo.Kohler{at}medecine.unige.ch.

Journal of Bacteriology, June 2002, p. 3027-3033, Vol. 184, No. 11
0021-9193/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.184.11.3027-3033.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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