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Interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus during co-cultivations and polymicrobial infections

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Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are versatile bacterial pathogens and common etiological agents in polymicrobial infections. Microbial communities containing both of these pathogens are shaped by interactions ranging from parasitic to mutualistic, with the net impact of these interactions in many cases resulting in enhanced virulence. Polymicrobial communities of these organisms are further defined by multiple aspects of the host environment, with important implications for disease progression and therapeutic outcomes. This mini-review highlights the impact of these interactions on the host and individual pathogens, the molecular mechanisms that underlie these interactions, and host-specific factors that drive interactions between these two important pathogens.

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Correspondence to Amanda G. Oglesby-Sherrouse.

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Funding is provided by the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (to AGO) and NIH training grant T32 GM 066706 (to ATN).

Angela T. Nguyen declares that she has no conflict of interest. Amanda G. Oglesby-Sherrouse declares that she has no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Nguyen, A.T., Oglesby-Sherrouse, A.G. Interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus during co-cultivations and polymicrobial infections. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 100, 6141–6148 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-7596-3

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