Biofilm formation, pigment production, and virulence gene profiles in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from respiratory and urinary tract infections

IF 1 Q4 GENETICS & HEREDITY

Gene Reports Pub Date : 2025-03-01 DOI:10.1016/j.genrep.2025.102184

Mohammad Sarkheili, Farzin Asghari-Sana, Samira Ahmadi Asli, Shabnam Golbouy Daghdari

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major opportunistic pathogen, recognized for its antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and virulence factors. This study investigated 50 clinical isolates from respiratory and urinary tract infections in hospitals in Urmia, Iran, to explore the correlation between biofilm production, antibiotic resistance, pigment production, and the presence of virulence genes. Pyoverdine was produced by 40 % of the isolates, pyocyanin by 58 %, and 6 % of the strains did not produce any pigments. No significant association was found between pigment production and infection type. Biofilm formation was observed in 86 % of the isolates, with strong biofilm producers exhibiting significantly higher pyoverdine production than pyocyanin (p < 0.001). The highest antibiotic resistance in P. aeruginosa isolates was observed against meropenem (94 %), while the lowest was against aztreonam (26 %). Multidrug resistance was present in 76 % of the isolates, with no significant correlation found between pigment production and antibiotic resistance. The prevalence of virulence genes included algD (86 %), plcH (82 %), plcN (80 %), toxA (72 %), lasB (66 %), and exoS (64 %). Although most genes showed no significant differences between respiratory and urinary isolates, exoS was significantly more prevalent in respiratory isolates (87.5 %, p < 0.001) compared to urinary isolates (42.3 %). Additionally, algD and lasB were co-detected in 72.09 % of biofilm-producing isolates (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the frequent detection of P. aeruginosa in clinical samples, along with its virulence factors, high pigment production, and biofilm formation, enhances its ability to cause persistent infections. These findings suggest that exoS plays a key role in respiratory infections, highlighting the pathogen's adaptability to various infection sites. This information provides a valuable foundation for developing more effective, targeted treatment strategies against this challenging pathogen.

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来源期刊

Gene Reports Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Genetics

CiteScore

3.30

自引率

7.70%

发文量

246

审稿时长

49 days

期刊介绍： Gene Reports publishes papers that focus on the regulation, expression, function and evolution of genes in all biological contexts, including all prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, as well as viruses. Gene Reports strives to be a very diverse journal and topics in all fields will be considered for publication. Although not limited to the following, some general topics include: DNA Organization, Replication & Evolution -Focus on genomic DNA (chromosomal organization, comparative genomics, DNA replication, DNA repair, mobile DNA, mitochondrial DNA, chloroplast DNA). Expression & Function - Focus on functional RNAs (microRNAs, tRNAs, rRNAs, mRNA splicing, alternative polyadenylation) Regulation - Focus on processes that mediate gene-read out (epigenetics, chromatin, histone code, transcription, translation, protein degradation). Cell Signaling - Focus on mechanisms that control information flow into the nucleus to control gene expression (kinase and phosphatase pathways controlled by extra-cellular ligands, Wnt, Notch, TGFbeta/BMPs, FGFs, IGFs etc.) Profiling of gene expression and genetic variation - Focus on high throughput approaches (e.g., DeepSeq, ChIP-Seq, Affymetrix microarrays, proteomics) that define gene regulatory circuitry, molecular pathways and protein/protein networks. Genetics - Focus on development in model organisms (e.g., mouse, frog, fruit fly, worm), human genetic variation, population genetics, as well as agricultural and veterinary genetics. Molecular Pathology & Regenerative Medicine - Focus on the deregulation of molecular processes in human diseases and mechanisms supporting regeneration of tissues through pluripotent or multipotent stem cells.