Review of Potential Pseudomonas Weaponry, Relevant to the Pseudomonas-Aspergillus Interplay, for the Mycology Community

Pseudomonas aeruginosais one of the most prominent opportunistic bacteria in airways of cystic fibrosis patients and in immunocompromised patients. These bacteria share the same polymicrobial niche with other microbes, such as the opportunistic fungusAspergillus fumigatus.Their inter-kingdom interactions and diverse exchange of secreted metabolites are responsible for how they both fare in competition for ecological niches. The outcomes of their contests likely determine persistent damage and degeneration of lung function. With a myriad of virulence factors and metabolites of promising antifungal activity,P. aeruginosaproducts or their derivatives may prove useful in prophylaxis and therapy againstA. fumigatus. Quorum sensing underlies the primary virulence strategy ofP. aeruginosa, which serves as cell-cell communication and ultimately leads to the production of multiple virulence factors. Understanding the quorum-sensing-related pathogenic mechanisms ofP. aeruginosais a first step for understanding intermicrobial competition. In this review, we provide a basic overview of some of the central virulence factors ofP. aeruginosathat are regulated by quorum-sensing response pathways and briefly discuss the hitherto known antifungal properties of these virulence factors. This review also addresses the role of the bacterial secretion machinery regarding virulence factor secretion and maintenance of cell-cell communication.