HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shaver, C. M. Articles by Hauser, A. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shaver, C. M. Articles by Hauser, A. R. Agricola Articles by Shaver, C. M. Articles by Hauser, A. R.

Interactions between effector proteins of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system do not significantly affect several measures of disease severity in mammals

¹ Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Searle 6-495, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
² Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Searle 6-495, Chicago, IL 60611, USA

Correspondence
Alan R. Hauser
ahauser{at}northwestern.edu

The effector proteins of the type III secretion systems of many bacterial pathogens act in a coordinated manner to subvert host cells and facilitate the development and progression of disease. It is unclear whether interactions between the type-III-secreted proteins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa result in similar effects on the disease process. We have previously characterized the contributions to pathogenesis of the type-III-secreted proteins ExoS, ExoT and ExoU when secreted individually. In this study, we extend our prior work to determine whether these proteins have greater than expected effects on virulence when secreted in combination. In vitro cytotoxicity and anti-internalization activities were not enhanced when effector proteins were secreted in combinations rather than alone. Likewise in a mouse model of pneumonia, bacterial burden in the lungs, dissemination and mortality attributable to ExoS, ExoT and ExoU were not synergistically increased when combinations of these effector proteins were secreted. Because of the absence of an appreciable synergistic increase in virulence when multiple effector proteins were secreted in combination, we conclude that any cooperation between ExoS, ExoT and ExoU does not translate into a synergistically significant enhancement of disease severity as measured by these assays.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. H. Diaz, C. M. Shaver, J. D. King, S. Musunuri, J. A. Kazzaz, and A. R. Hauser Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induces Localized Immunosuppression during Pneumonia Infect. Immun., October 1, 2008; 76(10): 4414 - 4421. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H.-H. Lin, S.-p. Huang, H.-C. Teng, D.-D. Ji, Y.-S. Chen, and Y.-L. Chen Presence of the exoU Gene of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Is Correlated with Cytotoxicity in MDCK Cells but Not with Colonization in BALB/c Mice J. Clin. Microbiol., December 1, 2006; 44(12): 4596 - 4597. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]