The respiratory tract of patients with cystic fibrosis is a polymicrobial environment in which Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a dominant pathogen and oral commensal streptococci are emerging as cohabitants. Using a dual species biofilm model, Scoffield et al. showed that Streptococcus parasanguinis uses the P. aeruginosa-derived exopolysaccharide alginate to promote biofilm formation and colonization of the lungs, thereby interfering with P. aeruginosa pathogenesis. Although the streptococcal adhesin BapA1 is necessary for alginate-dependent biofilm formation in vitro, it is dispensable in vivo, in which fimbria-associated adhesion protein (Fap1) can also contribute to colonization. This study describes a new association between alginate and streptococcal adhesins, and reveals a new colonization mechanism for oral commensal streptococci in the cystic fibrosis lung environment.
References
Scoffield, J. A. et al. A commensal streptococcus hijacks a Pseudomonas aeruginosa exopolysaccharide to promote biofilm formation. PLoS Pathog. 13, e1006300 (2017)
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Vacca, I. New ways for streptococci to settle down. Nat Rev Microbiol 15, 321 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro.2017.57
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro.2017.57