Pseudomonas aeruginosa Expresses a Lethal Virulence Determinant, the PA-I Lectin/Adhesin, in the Intestinal Tract of a Stressed Host: The Role of Epithelia Cell Contact and Molecules of the Quorum Sensing Signaling System

摘要

The presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the intestinal tract of a stressed host is associated with a high mortality rate in both humans and animals. Using a mouse model of lethal gut-derived sepsis due to this organism, the authors demonstrate that local factors within the intestinal tract of a stressed host enhance the virulence of this feared pathogen by activating elements within bacteria that dysregulate the intestinal epithelial barrier.