Persistent Bacterial Coinfection of a COVID-19 Patient Caused by a Genetically Adapted Pseudomonas aeruginosa Chronic Colonizer

Qu，Jiuxin1; Cai，Zhao2; Liu，Yumei2; Duan，Xiangke2; Han，Shuhong2; Liu，Jihong2,3; Zhu，Yuao2; Jiang，Zhaofang1; Zhang，Yingdan2; Zhuo，Chao4; Liu，Yang3; Liu，Yingxia1,5; Liu，Lei1,5; Yang，Liang2,6

2021-03-17

10.3389/fcimb.2021.641920

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology   影响因子和分区

2235-2988

2235-2988

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a biofilm-forming opportunistic pathogen which causes chronic infections in immunocompromised patients and leads to high mortality rate. It is identified as a common coinfecting pathogen in COVID-19 patients causing exacerbation of illness. In our hospital, P. aeruginosa is one of the top coinfecting bacteria identified among COVID-19 patients. We collected a strong biofilm-forming P. aeruginosa strain displaying small colony variant morphology from a severe COVID-19 patient. Genomic and transcriptomic sequencing analyses were performed with phenotypic validation to investigate its adaptation in SARS-CoV-2 infected environment. Genomic characterization predicted specific genomic islands highly associated with virulence, transcriptional regulation, and DNA restriction-modification systems. Epigenetic analysis revealed a specific N-methyl adenine (mA) methylating pattern including methylation of alginate, flagellar and quorum sensing associated genes. Differential gene expression analysis indicated that this isolate formed excessive biofilm by reducing flagellar formation (7.4 to 1,624.1 folds) and overproducing extracellular matrix components including CdrA (4.4 folds), alginate (5.2 to 29.1 folds) and Pel (4.8–5.5 folds). In summary, we demonstrated that P. aeuginosa clinical isolates with novel epigenetic markers could form excessive biofilm, which might enhance its antibiotic resistance and in vivo colonization in COVID-19 patients.

biofilm coinfection COVID-19 DNA methylation Pseudomonas aeruginosa

SCI

英语

通讯

Guangdong Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholar[2020B1515020003] ; Start-up Grants from the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech)["Y01416106","Y01416206"] ; Science and Technology Program of Shenzhen[JCYJ20190809144005609] ; Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation["2020A1515010586","2019A1515110640"] ; Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau[201607020044] ; Natural Science Fund of Guangdong Province[2020A1515010316]

Immunology ; Microbiology

Immunology ; Microbiology

WOS:000635129900001

FRONTIERS MEDIA SA

2-s2.0-85103500253

Scopus

1.Department of Clinical Laboratory,Shenzhen Third People's Hospital,Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern,University of Science and Technology,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases,Shenzhen,China
2.School of Medicine,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,China
3.Medical Research Center,Southern University of Science and Technology Hospital,Shenzhen,China
4.The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases,The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University,Guangzhou,China
5.Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Immunity,State Key Discipline of Infectious Disease,Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital,Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,China
6.Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,China

Qu，Jiuxin,Cai，Zhao,Liu，Yumei,et al. Persistent Bacterial Coinfection of a COVID-19 Patient Caused by a Genetically Adapted Pseudomonas aeruginosa Chronic Colonizer[J]. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology,2021,11.

Qu，Jiuxin.,Cai，Zhao.,Liu，Yumei.,Duan，Xiangke.,Han，Shuhong.,...&Yang，Liang.(2021).Persistent Bacterial Coinfection of a COVID-19 Patient Caused by a Genetically Adapted Pseudomonas aeruginosa Chronic Colonizer.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology,11.

Qu，Jiuxin,et al."Persistent Bacterial Coinfection of a COVID-19 Patient Caused by a Genetically Adapted Pseudomonas aeruginosa Chronic Colonizer".Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 11(2021).