NIH R01 · 2024
Significance of Corneal Cell Invasion by Bacteria
Summary: P. aeruginosa is a leading cause of blinding eye disease. Contributing to disease pathogenesis is invasion of corneal epithelial cells, as we have demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report that P. aeruginosa can establish multiple niches inside corneal epithelial cells, some colonizing the cytoplasm and other vacuoles – often in the same cell. Reporter expression results show different phenotypic states in these alternate locations, the pattern suggesting “acute” infection mode for cytoplasmic bacteria and “chronic” (biofilm forming) mode for those in vacuoles. While genetic regulation of the switch between these two states has been extensively studied in vitro, how this…
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