Martino Román A, Volke Daniel C, Tenaglia Albano H, Tribelli Paula M, Nikel Pablo I, Smania Andrea M
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Departamento de Química Biológica Ranwel Caputto, Córdoba, Argentina.
CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba (CIQUIBIC), Córdoba, Argentina.
Microb Biotechnol. 2025 Apr;18(4):e70137. doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.70137.
The second messenger bis-(3' → 5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) governs adaptive responses in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including biofilm formation and the transition from acute to chronic infections. Understanding the intricate c-di-GMP signalling network remains challenging due to the overlapping activities of numerous diguanylate cyclases (DGCs). In this study, we employed a CRISPR-based multiplex genome-editing tool to disrupt all 32 GGDEF domain-containing proteins (GCPs) implicated in c-di-GMP signalling in P. aeruginosa PA14. Phenotypic and physiological analyses revealed that the resulting mutant was unable to form biofilms and had attenuated virulence. Residual c-di-GMP levels were still detected despite the extensive GCP disruption, underscoring the robustness of this regulatory network. Taken together, these findings provide insights into the complex c-di-GMP metabolism and showcase the importance of functional overlapping in bacterial signalling. Moreover, our approach overcomes the native redundancy in c-di-GMP synthesis, providing a framework to dissect individual DGC functions and paving the way for targeted strategies to address bacterial adaptation and pathogenesis.
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