Quorum-sensing signals indicate that cystic fibrosis lungs are infected with bacterial biofilms.

@article{citeulike:952430, abstract = {The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa permanently colonizes cystic fibrosis lungs despite aggressive antibiotic treatment. This suggests that P. aeruginosa might exist as biofilms--structured communities of bacteria encased in a self-produced polymeric matrix--in the cystic fibrosis lung. Consistent with this hypothesis, microscopy of cystic fibrosis sputum shows that P. aeruginosa are in biofilm-like structures. P. aeruginosa uses extracellular quorum-sensing signals (extracellular chemical signals that cue cell-density-dependent gene expression) to coordinate biofilm formation. Here we found that cystic fibrosis sputum produces the two principal P. aeruginosa quorum-sensing signals; however, the relative abundance of these signals was opposite to that of the standard P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 in laboratory broth culture. When P. aeruginosa sputum isolates were grown in broth, some showed quorum-sensing signal ratios like those of the laboratory strain. When we grew these isolates and PAO1 in a laboratory biofilm model, the signal ratios were like those in cystic fibrosis sputum. Our data support the hypothesis that P. aeruginosa are in a biofilm in cystic fibrosis sputum. Moreover, quorum-sensing signal profiling of specific P. aeruginosa strains may serve as a biomarker in screens to identify agents that interfere with biofilm development.}, address = {Howard Hughes Medical Institute \& Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA.}, author = {Singh, P. K. and Schaefer, A. L. and Parsek, M. R. and Moninger, T. O. and Welsh, M. J. and Greenberg, E. P. }, citeulike-article-id = {952430}, doi = {10.1038/35037627}, issn = {0028-0836}, journal = {Nature}, keywords = {cystic-fibrosis, quorum-sensing}, month = {October}, number = {6805}, pages = {762--764}, posted-at = {2008-05-29 15:33:19}, priority = {2}, title = {Quorum-sensing signals indicate that cystic fibrosis lungs are infected with bacterial biofilms.}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35037627}, volume = {407}, year = {2000} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:952430 L3 - citeulike-article-id:952430 TI - Quorum-sensing signals indicate that cystic fibrosis lungs are infected with bacterial biofilms. JF - Nature VL - 407 IS - 6805 SP - 762 EP - 764 AD - Howard Hughes Medical Institute & Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA. SN - 0028-0836 N2 - The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa permanently colonizes cystic fibrosis lungs despite aggressive antibiotic treatment. This suggests that P. aeruginosa might exist as biofilms--structured communities of bacteria encased in a self-produced polymeric matrix--in the cystic fibrosis lung. Consistent with this hypothesis, microscopy of cystic fibrosis sputum shows that P. aeruginosa are in biofilm-like structures. P. aeruginosa uses extracellular quorum-sensing signals (extracellular chemical signals that cue cell-density-dependent gene expression) to coordinate biofilm formation. Here we found that cystic fibrosis sputum produces the two principal P. aeruginosa quorum-sensing signals; however, the relative abundance of these signals was opposite to that of the standard P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 in laboratory broth culture. When P. aeruginosa sputum isolates were grown in broth, some showed quorum-sensing signal ratios like those of the laboratory strain. When we grew these isolates and PAO1 in a laboratory biofilm model, the signal ratios were like those in cystic fibrosis sputum. Our data support the hypothesis that P. aeruginosa are in a biofilm in cystic fibrosis sputum. Moreover, quorum-sensing signal profiling of specific P. aeruginosa strains may serve as a biomarker in screens to identify agents that interfere with biofilm development. KW - cystic-fibrosis KW - quorum-sensing AU - Singh, PK AU - Schaefer, AL AU - Parsek, MR AU - Moninger, TO AU - Welsh, MJ AU - Greenberg, EP PY - 2000/10/12/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35037627 ER -