Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
Commun Biol. 2024 Aug 14;7(1):995. doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06618-3.
Most habitats host diverse bacterial communities, offering opportunities for inter-species interactions. While competition might often dominate such interactions, little is known about whether bacteria can sense competitors and mount adequate responses. The competition sensing hypothesis proposes that bacteria can use cues such as nutrient stress and cell damage to prepare for battle. Here, we tested this hypothesis by measuring transcriptome changes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa exposed to the supernatant of its competitor Burkholderia cenocepacia. We found that P. aeruginosa exhibited significant growth-medium-dependent transcriptome changes in response to competition. In an iron-rich medium, P. aeruginosa upregulated genes encoding the type-VI secretion system and the siderophore pyoverdine, whereas genes encoding phenazine toxins and hydrogen cyanide were upregulated under iron-limited conditions. Moreover, general stress response and quorum sensing regulators were upregulated upon supernatant exposure. Altogether, our results reveal nuanced competitive responses of P. aeruginosa when confronted with B. cenocepacia supernatant, integrating both environmental and social cues.
大多数栖息地都存在着多样化的细菌群落,为种间相互作用提供了机会。虽然竞争通常是这些相互作用的主导因素,但人们对细菌是否能够感知到竞争者并做出适当的反应知之甚少。竞争感应假说提出,细菌可以利用营养胁迫和细胞损伤等线索为战斗做准备。在这里,我们通过测量铜绿假单胞菌暴露于其竞争者洋葱伯克霍尔德菌上清液后的转录组变化来检验这一假说。我们发现,铜绿假单胞菌对竞争表现出显著的生长介质依赖性转录组变化。在富含铁的培养基中,铜绿假单胞菌上调了编码 VI 型分泌系统和铁载体吡咯并喹啉醌的基因,而在缺铁条件下,吩嗪毒素和氢氰酸的基因被上调。此外,上清液暴露后,一般应激反应和群体感应调节因子上调。总的来说,我们的研究结果揭示了铜绿假单胞菌在面对洋葱伯克霍尔德菌上清液时的细微竞争反应,整合了环境和社会线索。