R pyocin sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates from different disease types

Introduction . Multidrug-resistant infections by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa are common in healthcare settings but are increasingly difficult to treat due to high rates of antimicrobial resistance.

Hypothesis/Gap Statement . Interest has developed in using R pyocins, bacteriocins produced by P. aeruginosa , as a species-specific treatment. We hypothesize that understanding the connections between disease type and R pyocin sensitivity will inform future treatment development.

Aim . To evaluate the patterns of R pyocin sensitivity across a library of 247 clinical P. aeruginosa isolates and compare sensitivity profiles of strains when categorizing based on disease type, O-antigen serotype and encoded R pyocin type.

Methodology . A combination of genomic analysis and R pyocin sensitivity assays using growth kinetics was conducted on 247 clinical isolates to evaluate genotype, phenotype and disease presentation in the context of R pyocins. Genomic analysis allowed in silico identification of O-antigen serotype and encoded R pyocin type, and phylogenetic comparisons revealed genetic relationships between strains.

Results . Comparative analysis of clinical isolates showed that certain conditions, such as chronic infection in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis, increased sensitivity to R pyocins. We also observed strong correlations between encoded R pyocin subtype, sensitivity and O-antigen serotype. Finally, our data showed that a large percentage of strains had shared, broad-spectrum sensitivity to R pyocins, suggesting that most clinical isolates may be treatable with R pyocins.

Conclusion . Our study reveals connections between disease type, O-antigen serotype and R pyocin sensitivity, which may inform future strain analysis and predict the effectiveness of R pyocin treatment.