Rapid adaptation drives invasion of airway donor microbiota by Pseudomonas after lung transplantation

Sci Rep. 2017 Jan 17:7:40309. doi: 10.1038/srep40309.

Abstract

In cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, chronic airway infection by Pseudomonas leads to progressive lung destruction ultimately requiring lung transplantation (LT). Following LT, CF-adapted Pseudomonas strains, potentially originating from the sinuses, may seed the allograft leading to infections and reduced allograft survival. We investigated whether CF-adapted Pseudomonas populations invade the donor microbiota and adapt to the non-CF allograft. We collected sequential Pseudomonas isolates and airway samples from a CF-lung transplant recipient during two years, and followed the dynamics of the microbiota and Pseudomonas populations. We show that Pseudomonas invaded the host microbiota within three days post-LT, in association with a reduction in richness and diversity. A dominant mucoid and hypermutator mutL lineage was replaced after 11 days by non-mucoid strains. Despite antibiotic therapy, Pseudomonas dominated the allograft microbiota until day 95. We observed positive selection of pre-LT variants and the appearance of novel mutations. Phenotypic adaptation resulted in increased biofilm formation and swimming motility capacities. Pseudomonas was replaced after 95 days by a microbiota dominated by Actinobacillus. In conclusion, mucoid Pseudomonas adapted to the CF-lung remained able to invade the allograft. Selection of both pre-existing non-mucoid subpopulations and of novel phenotypic traits suggests rapid adaptation of Pseudomonas to the non-CF allograft.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological*
  • Adult
  • Allografts
  • Colony Count, Microbial
  • Cystic Fibrosis / microbiology
  • Female
  • Genome, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Lung / microbiology*
  • Lung Transplantation*
  • Microbiota*
  • Phenotype
  • Pseudomonas / isolation & purification
  • Pseudomonas / physiology*
  • Tissue Donors