How does Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infect?
P. Aeruginosa as seen is a very dangerous bacterium, as it is easily transmitted and has the potential to cause an array of other diseases.
P. Aeruginosa infects the host through 3 main steps: attachment and colonisation, local invasion and, dissemination and systemic disease.
1. Attachment and Colonisation
P. Aeruginosa uses its pili to stick to the host’s cell wall; the bacterium produce and release protease enzymes (enzyme which breaks down proteins and peptides) to break down fibronectin (a glycoprotein) which exposes sites for the pili to attach to. The broken down sites on the host where the P. Aeruginosa bacterium can attach are galactose, mannose or sialic acid receptors. When the opportunistic pathogen is attached to
the host cell, it can form a biofilm to provide protection and communication pathways.
2. Local Invasion
After P. Aeruginosa has successfully attached itself to the host cell and colonised, the bacterium begin to produce enzymes and toxins that break
down the host cells defences allowing for invasion. Two protease enzymes are produced (elastase and alkaline) which aid in the destruction of the hosts protein structures (fibrin and elastin). Three other proteins are produced by P. Aeruginosa, which aims to break down any physical barriers the host cell may have, in order to take over the cell.
3. Dissemination and Systemic disease
Dissemination is the act of spreading something, which is exactly what P. Aeruginosa does when it takes over a cell. The bacterium causes the toxins it produced when invading the cell to be spread around the whole body, causing a systemic disease (a whole system disease e.g. respiratory disease). The spreading of the toxins in large amount is believed to cause the fatalities.
P. Aeruginosa infects the host through 3 main steps: attachment and colonisation, local invasion and, dissemination and systemic disease.
1. Attachment and Colonisation
P. Aeruginosa uses its pili to stick to the host’s cell wall; the bacterium produce and release protease enzymes (enzyme which breaks down proteins and peptides) to break down fibronectin (a glycoprotein) which exposes sites for the pili to attach to. The broken down sites on the host where the P. Aeruginosa bacterium can attach are galactose, mannose or sialic acid receptors. When the opportunistic pathogen is attached to
the host cell, it can form a biofilm to provide protection and communication pathways.
2. Local Invasion
After P. Aeruginosa has successfully attached itself to the host cell and colonised, the bacterium begin to produce enzymes and toxins that break
down the host cells defences allowing for invasion. Two protease enzymes are produced (elastase and alkaline) which aid in the destruction of the hosts protein structures (fibrin and elastin). Three other proteins are produced by P. Aeruginosa, which aims to break down any physical barriers the host cell may have, in order to take over the cell.
3. Dissemination and Systemic disease
Dissemination is the act of spreading something, which is exactly what P. Aeruginosa does when it takes over a cell. The bacterium causes the toxins it produced when invading the cell to be spread around the whole body, causing a systemic disease (a whole system disease e.g. respiratory disease). The spreading of the toxins in large amount is believed to cause the fatalities.