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. 2015 Aug 25:6:871.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00871. eCollection 2015.

Analysis of the pathogenic potential of nosocomial Pseudomonas putida strains

Matilde Fernández  1 , Mario Porcel  2 , Jesús de la Torre  3 , M A Molina-Henares  3 , Abdelali Daddaoua  4 , María A Llamas  3 , Amalia Roca  5 , Victor Carriel  6 , Ingrid Garzón  6 , Juan L Ramos  4 , Miguel Alaminos  6 , Estrella Duque  4
Affiliations

Analysis of the pathogenic potential of nosocomial Pseudomonas putida strains

Matilde Fernández et al. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

Pseudomonas putida strains are ubiquitous in soil and water but have also been reported as opportunistic human pathogens capable of causing nosocomial infections. In this study we describe the multilocus sequence typing of four P. putida strains (HB13667, HB8234, HB4184, and HB3267) isolated from in-patients at the Besançon Hospital (France). The four isolates (in particular HB3267) were resistant to a number of antibiotics. The pathogenicity and virulence potential of the strains was tested ex vivo and in vivo using different biological models: human tissue culture, mammalian tissues, and insect larvae. Our results showed a significant variability in the ability of the four strains to damage the host; HB13667 did not exhibit any pathogenic traits, HB4184 caused damage only ex vivo in human tissue cultures, and HB8234 had a deleterious effect in tissue culture and in vivo on rat skin, but not in insect larvae. Interestingly, strain HB3267 caused damage in all the model systems studied. The putative evolution of these strains in medical environments is discussed.

Keywords: Pseudomonas; hospitalary strains; laminin; opportunistic pathogen.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Phylogenetic tree. Multi-way DNA alignment of the concatenated housekeeping gene sequences.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Biofilm formation. Bacterial biofilms stained with crystal violet.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Histological analysis of human skin using light microscopy, samples incubated with the different Pseudomonas putida strains (HB13667, HB8234, HB4184, and HB3267) and control non-inoculated skin (CTR). All samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Analysis of the integrity of the basement membrane of human skin samples incubated with the different P. putida strains (HB13667, HB8234, HB4184, and HB3267) and control non-inoculated skin (CTR) using laminin immunohistochemistry. Positive signal is labelled in brown and highlighted with arrows.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Analysis of the integrity of epithelial cell-cell junctions as determined by immunohistofluorescence for ZO-2 (upper) and desmoplakin (lower) in human skin samples incubated with the different P. putida strains (HB13667, HB8234, HB4184, and HB3267) and control non-inoculated skin (CTR). Positive signal is labelled in green and cell nuclei have been counterstained in red.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
In vivo analysis of the effects of the different P. putida strains (HB13667, HB8234, HB4184, and HB3267) and controls on intact rat skin (A) and freeze-injured rat skin (B). All samples were fixed in formalin, stained with hematoxylin-eosin and analyzed using a light microscope. CTR: control non-inoculated skin. KT-2440: skin inoculated with non-pathogenic KT-2440 strains (negative control). PAO1: skin inoculated with P. aeruginosa (positive control).
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Cumulative survival of Chrysoperla carnea larvae treated with different P. putida clinical strains.
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