Condensins are essential for Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal virulence through their control of phenotypic programs

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant opportunistic pathogen responsible for a variety of human infections. Its high pathogenicity resides in a diverse array of virulence factors and an ability to adapt to hostile environments. We report that these factors are tied to the activity of condensins, SMC and MksBEF, which primarily function in structural chromosome maintenance. This study revealed that both proteins are required for P. aeruginosa virulence during corneal infection. The reduction in virulence was traced to broad changes in gene expression. Transcriptional signatures of smc and mksB mutants were largely dissimilar and non-additive, with the double mutant displaying a distinct gene expression profile. Affected regulons included those responsible for lifestyle control, primary metabolism, surface adhesion and biofilm growth, iron and sulfur assimilation, and denitrification. Additionally, numerous virulence factors were affected, including type 3 and type 6 secretion systems, hemagglutinin, pyocin and macroglobulin production, and a host of virulence regulators. in vitro properties of condensin mutants mirrored their transcriptional profiles. MksB-deficient cells were impaired in pyocyanin, c-di-GMP production, and sessile growth whereas smc mutants mildly upregulated c-di-GMP, secreted fewer proteases and were growth deficient under nutrient-limiting conditions. Moreover, condensin mutants displayed an abnormal regulation upon transition to stationary phase. These data reveal that condensins are integrated into the control of multiple genetic programs related to epigenetic and virulent behavior, establishing condensins as an essential factor in P. aeruginosa ocular infections. Author SummaryBacterial pathogenicity is a complex phenomenon dependent on the ability of a bacterium to thrive in a hostile environment while combating the host using an array of virulence factors. This study reports that pathogenicity is also tied to structural chromosome maintenance through condensins, proteins that are responsible for the global organization of the chromosome. We show that the two Pseudomonas aeruginosa condensins, SMC and MksB, act as global regulators of gene expression. The inactivation of SMC and MksB induces opposite regulatory programs in the cell that resemble those observed during the acute and chronic phases of infection. A substantial portion of this regulation is mediated by the intracellular signaling network of P. aeruginosa. Accordingly, virulence regulation is altered in condensin mutants. The results were validated by genetic, phenotypic and virulence studies of condensin mutants. Overall, these data establish condensins as an essential factor during ocular P. aeruginosa infections revealing their involvement in the regulatory virulence network and the control of the bacterial lifestyle.