Poster Presentation 22nd Annual Lorne Proteomics Symposium 2017

Multi-omics approach to understand how Pseudomonas aeruginosa adapts to the cystic fibrosis lung (#204)

Karthik Shantharam Kamath 1 2 , Anahit Penesyan 2 , Christoph Krisp 1 , Joel Chick 3 , Sheemal S Kumar 2 , Dana Pascovici 1 , Vignesh Venkatakrishnan 2 , Ian Paulsen 2 , Nicolle Packer 2 , Steven P Gygi 3 , Mark Molloy 1 2
  1. Australian Proteome Analysis Facility, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen commonly associated with chronic lung infection in cystic fibrosis (CF). To better understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning adaptation of the bacteria to the CF lung microenvironment we conducted genomic, proteomic and phenotypic characterisation of four novel CF isolates of P. aeruginosa cultured in various growth media (Synthetic Cystic Fibrosis Media, Luria-Bertani (LB) broth, M9-Glucose) and under oxygen stress (O2<1%). Genomic and phenotypic analyses revealed significant diversity in colonization, virulence and metabolic traits different to a reference laboratory strain PAO1. Whole cell and membrane proteome profiling using combinations of iTRAQ, TMT and SWATH mass spectrometry enabled quantification of 3,849 proteins from whole cell extracts and 990 membrane proteins from membrane enriched fractions (FDR <1%) mapping around 71% of predicted ORFs and representing the most comprehensive proteome of clinically relevant P. aeruginosa reported to date. CF  clinical isolates  shared  a  core  proteomic  signature  which is  different  to  PAO1. In comparison to PAO1, we observed down-regulation of motility, adhesion and chemotaxis proteins (FliK, PilJ, PctA), questioning the utility of targeting these molecules for vaccine development. We also saw up-regulation of proteins used in respiration (Cbb3-1,Cbb3-2,NarG-I, NirC, NorB) and drug resistance (MexY, MexB,  MexC). Functional assays including antibiotic MIC assay, motility and CF sputum adhesion assays confirmed the proteomic findings. These proteome maps and phenotypic profiles illuminate the diversity in the adaptation and micro-evolution mechanisms of P. aeruginosa that cannot be detected at the genome level alone.