Membrane fluidity homeostasis is required for tobramycin-enhanced biofilm in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen, which causes chronic infections, especially in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients where it colonizes the lungs via the build-up of biofilms. Tobramycin, an aminoglycoside, is often used to treat P. aeruginosa infections in CF patients. Tobramycin at sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations enhances both biofilm biomass and thickness in vitro ; however, the mechanism(s) involved are still unknown. Herein, we show that tobramycin increases the expression and activity of SigX, an extracytoplasmic sigma factor known to be involved in the biosynthesis of membrane lipids and membrane fluidity homeostasis. The biofilm enhancement by tobramycin is not observed in a sigX mutant, and the sigX mutant displays increased membrane stiffness. Remarkably, the addition of polysorbate 80 increases membrane fluidity of sigX -mutant cells in biofilm, restoring the tobramycin-enhanced biofilm formation. Our results suggest the involvement of membrane fluidity homeostasis in biofilm development upon tobramycin exposure. IMPORTANCE Previous studies have shown that sub-lethal concentrations of tobramycin led to an increase biofilm formation in the case of infections with the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa . We show that the mechanism involved in this phenotype relies on the cell envelope stress response, triggered by the extracytoplasmic sigma factor SigX. This phenotype was abolished in a sigX -mutant strain. Remarkably, we show that increasing the membrane fluidity of the mutant strain is sufficient to restore the effect of tobramycin. Altogether, our data suggest the involvement of membrane fluidity homeostasis in biofilm development upon tobramycin exposure.

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