Pseudomonas aeruginosa enhances the efficacy of norfloxacin against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

Abstract The thick mucus within the airways of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) promotes frequent respiratory infections that are often polymicrobial. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are two of the most prevalent pathogens that cause CF pulmonary infections, and both have been associated with worse lung function. Furthermore, the ability of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus to form biofilms promotes the establishment of chronic infections that are often difficult to eradicate using antimicrobial agents. In this study, we found that multiple LasR-regulated exoproducts of P. aeruginosa , including HQNO, siderophores, phenazines, and rhamnolipids, likely contribute to the ability of P. aeruginosa to shift S. aureus norfloxacin susceptibility profiles. Here, we observe that exposure to P. aeruginosa exoproducts leads to an increase in intracellular norfloxacin accumulation by S. aureus . We previously showed that P. aeruginosa supernatant dissipates S. aureus membrane potential, and furthermore, depletion of the S. aureus proton-motive force recapitulates the effect of P. aeruginosa supernatant on shifting norfloxacin sensitivity profiles of biofilm-grown S. aureus . From these results, we hypothesize that exposure to P. aeruginosa exoproducts leads to increased uptake of the drug and/or an impaired ability of S. aureus to efflux norfloxacin. Our results illustrate that microbially-derived products can greatly alter the ability of antimicrobial agents to kill bacterial biofilms. Importance Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are frequently co-isolated from multiple infection sites, including the lungs of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-healing diabetic foot ulcers. Co-infection with P. aeruginosa and S. aureus has been shown to produce worse outcomes compared to infection with one organism alone. Furthermore, the ability of these pathogens to form biofilms enables them to cause persistent infection and withstand antimicrobial therapy. In this study, we found that P. aeruginosa -secreted products dramatically increase the ability of the antibiotic norfloxacin to kill S. aureus biofilms. Understanding how interspecies interactions alter the antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial biofilms may inform treatment decisions and inspire the development of new therapeutic strategies.