Pathogen Study: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Research Paper

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Background

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. aeruginosa, is considered a dangerous pathogen of human nosocomial infections, so infection often occurs in clinical settings. The pathogenicity of the bacterium is expressed in the infection of sites with purulent inflammatory processes and abscesses, which is particularly relevant to burn victims. Therefore, it is highly recommended to study the pathogenicity factors of this microorganism and to study its morphological and metabolic properties. The present work summarizes the results of such a study and provides descriptive material for P. aeruginosa.

Brief History

The Pseudomonas bacterial family is believed to have been first discovered and qualitatively described in wartime. More specifically, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was first discovered by C. E. Sedillot in 1850, although he did not isolate P. aeruginosa as such a bacterial culture (D’Abramo & Neumeyer, 2020). It was not until 1882 that French chemist Charles Gessard was able to isolate P. aeruginosa from the biomaterial of wound dressings of wounded soldiers (Chen, 2018). This isolate was a purulent-pathogenic mixture from which P. aeruginosa was obtained in its pure form. The classification aspects of microbiology have changed over time, as has the position of this taxon. The name of the species, literally meaning its color, was suggested by observation when the pathogen was found to have two characteristic pigments, giving it a blue and a green color simultaneously. Since then, no severe outbreaks, much fewer pandemics, of P. aeruginosa have been detected, but the pathogen has firmly taken its place as an opportunistic threat.

Morphology

It is known that P. aeruginosa belongs to the typical representatives of Gram-negative bacteria of bacilliform shape. Notably, the bacillus shape can be straight or curved, but this does not affect the toxic properties of P. aeruginosa. According to Batra (2018), this pathogen is highly motile, and its linear dimensions do not exceed 3 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width. At the same time, it is a species of non-colonial bacteria, which means that both free-living microorganisms and those existing in pairs and groups can be found in the isolate. Each bacterium has 1-2 polar flagella that allow free movement. Also notable is the fact that typically P. aeruginosa has no lipid or protein capsid or envelope, but some of the strains can produce a mucus-like starchy substance that has a protective effect (Lymn, 2018). This allows P. aeruginosa to survive even in challenging conditions and not to dry out in the sun.

Optimal Environmental Conditions

The prevalence of P. aeruginosa in nature is wide: this pathogen lives peacefully in water, soil, inside animals and plants, and on surfaces in clinical settings. Including water, P. aeruginosa can persist for extended periods — approximately one year — at 35-37°C (Wu et al., 2015). This ability accounts for the presence of P. aeruginosa in many non-sterile medical solutions, whether physiological solution or contact lens storage solution. At the same time, it should be understood that P. aeruginosa is an obligate aerobe, which means that the growth and biological activity of the pathogen are only possible when oxygen is abundant (Batra, 2018). However, this claim was refuted when it was found that the bacterium is capable of surviving in anaerobic conditions (Vatan et al., 2018). The widespread distribution of the pathogen is determined by its high adaptability to different environmental conditions and food raw materials. For example, the bacterium is resistant to high concentrations of salts and dyes and is also able to resist the action of weak antiseptics and antibiotics.

In humans, P. aeruginosa can become part of their normal microflora, especially in the axilla, groin, upper respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. Adhesion to the epithelium is due to the presence of microvilli on the bacterial surface, and in the absence of fibronectin — due to weakened immunity — attachment is greatly facilitated (Alves et al., 2018). Thus, locally hospital infection is initiated at the site of open wounds, including those from burns. When penetrating deep tissues, P. aeruginosa can spread through the tissues or infect the urogenital organs directly when catheters are inserted. Consequently, it is acceptable to point out that violation of the sanitary conditions of the clinical room and the lack of sterility of the instruments used are contributing factors to the infection of the patient with P. aeruginosa.

Metabolism

As stated, P. aeruginosa is regarded as a typical obligate aerobic bacterium capable of energy production through denitrification mechanisms. At the same time, the bacterium is able to survive and exhibit toxicological activity under anaerobic conditions, producing energy through phosphorylation at the substrate level (Vatan et al., 2018). During this process, ATP formation occurs by direct transfer of the phosphate group to ADP from the substrate. Consequently, P. aeruginosa uses the Entner-Dudorov metabolic pathway for carbohydrate oxidation (BC, n.d.). It is also important to emphasize that P. aeruginosa is characterized by low saccharolytic activity with comparably high proteolytic activity. Among the metabolic products, pyocins, pyocyanin, and fluorescein, which give the microorganisms their characteristic blue-green color, stand out. When P. aeruginosa enters the body, the production of exotoxin A, which destroys the matrix of protein synthesis, and exoenzyme S, which causes pathogenetic processes in the respiratory organs, is observed.

References

Alves, P. M., Al-Badi, E., Withycombe, C., Jones, P. M., Purdy, K. J., & Maddocks, S. E. (2018). Interaction between Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is beneficial for colonisation and pathogenicity in a mixed biofilm. Pathogens and Disease, 76(1), 1-7.

Batra, S. (2018). Paramedics World. Web.

BC. (n.d.). Catabolism of carbohydrates. BC Campus.

Chen, S. (2018). MedScape. Web.

D’Abramo, F., & Neumeyer, S. (2020). A historical and political epistemology of microbes. Centaurus, 62(2), 321-330.

Lymn, E. (2018).Action. Web.

Vatan, A., Saltoglu, N., Yemisen, M., Balkan, I. I., Surme, S., Demiray, T.,… & Study Group, Cerrahpasa Diabetic Foot. (2018). Association between biofilm and multi/extensive drug resistance in diabetic foot infection. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 72(3), 1-8.

Wu, W., Jin, Y., Bai, F., & Jin, S. (2015). Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In Y. Tang, M. Sussman, & J. Schwartzman (Eds.), Molecular medical microbiology (pp. 753-767). Academic Press.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, October 12). Pathogen Study: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pathogen-study-pseudomonas-aeruginosa/

Work Cited

"Pathogen Study: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa." IvyPanda, 12 Oct. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/pathogen-study-pseudomonas-aeruginosa/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Pathogen Study: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa'. 12 October.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Pathogen Study: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa." October 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pathogen-study-pseudomonas-aeruginosa/.

1. IvyPanda. "Pathogen Study: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa." October 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pathogen-study-pseudomonas-aeruginosa/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Pathogen Study: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa." October 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/pathogen-study-pseudomonas-aeruginosa/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1