Dr. Karen Moreau - Molecular interactions between Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis-related pulmonary co-infections

Karen Moreau

Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Université de Lyon

Molecular interactions between Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis-related pulmonary co-infections

20-30% of cystic fibrosis patients are co-infected with S. aureus (SA) and P. aeruginosa (PA). We have shown that these two pathogens can have either a competitive or coexisting relationship. In the context of coexistence, we showed that the two bacteria developed collaborative behaviors that could contribute to the persistence of the infection. In addition, the type of interaction seems to evolve over the course of the disease. PA ability to adapt and its great genetic diversity appear to be the major factors in this evolution. To determine the bacterial factors involved in the transition between the two interaction levels, we analyzed a 5-year longitudinal collection of strains from a single cystic fibrosis patient, with 46 PA isolates. The aim of all our work is to identify the genetic and phenotypic factors involved in the interactions between these two major pathogens in cystic fibrosis patients.

Selected references

• Souche A, Vandenesch F, Doléans-Jordheim A, Moreau K. How Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Hijack the Host Immune Response in the Context of Cystic Fibrosis. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 1;24(7):6609.
• Camus L, Vandenesch F, Moreau K. From genotype to phenotype: adaptations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the cystic fibrosis environment. Microb Genom. 2021 Mar;7(3):mgen000513.
• Camus L, Briaud P, Vandenesch F, Moreau K. How Bacterial Adaptation to Cystic Fibrosis Environment Shapes Interactions Between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Front Microbiol. 2021 Mar 3;12:617784.
• Camus L, Briaud P, Bastien S, Elsen S, Doléans-Jordheim A, Vandenesch F, Moreau K. Trophic cooperation promotes bacterial survival of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. ISME J. 2020 Dec;14(12):3093-3105
• Briaud P, Camus L, Bastien S, Doléans-Jordheim A, Vandenesch F, Moreau K. Coexistence with Pseudomonas aeruginosa alters Staphylococcus aureus transcriptome, antibiotic resistance and internalization into epithelial cells. Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 12;9(1):16564