The Pseudomonas aeruginosa dnaK gene is involved in bacterial translocation across the intestinal epithelial cell barrier.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa can penetrate through polarized epithelial cell monolayers produced by the human adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2. We previously identified genes associated with bacterial translocation through Caco-2 cell monolayers by analysing transposon insertion mutants with dramatically reduced penetration activity relative to that of the wild-type P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain. In this study, we focused on the dnaK mutant because the association between this gene and penetration activity is unknown. Inactivation of dnaK caused significant repression of bacterial penetration through Caco-2 cell monolayers, with decreased swimming, swarming and twitching motilities; bacterial adherence; and fly mortality rate; as well as dramatic repression of type III effector secretion and production of elastase and exotoxin A. However, type IV pilus protein PilA expression was not affected. These results suggest that dnaK is associated with bacterial motility and adherence, which are mediated by flagella and pili, and with toxin secretion, which plays a key role in the penetration of P. aeruginosa through Caco-2 cell monolayers. Inactivation of P. aeruginosa dnaK function may interfere with bacterial translocation and prevent septicaemia caused by P. aeruginosa.