Traversal of Multilayered Corneal Epithelia by Cytotoxic<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>Requires the Phospholipase Domain of ExoU

Abstract

Traversal of multilayered corneal epithelia in vitro by cytotoxic P. aeruginosa requires ExoU with an active phospholipase domain. Correlative loss of TER with traversal by wild-type, or exoU-complemented, bacteria suggests involvement of epithelial cell death and/or lost tight junction integrity. However, traversal by exoU mutants without reduced TER suggests that additional mechanisms are also operative.