Metabolic Mechanism and Physiological Role of Glycerol 3-Phosphate in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

In view of the intrinsic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to antibiotics and its potential to acquire resistance to current antibiotics, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic options for the treatment of infections caused by this bacterium. Bacterial metabolic pathways have recently become a focus of interest as potential targets for the development of new antibiotics. In this study, we describe the mechanism of glycerol utilization in P. aeruginosa PAO1, which is an available carbon source in the lung environment. Our results reveal that the homeostasis of glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P), a pivotal intermediate in glycerol catabolism, is important for the growth and virulence factor production of P. aeruginosa PAO1. The mutation of G3P dehydrogenase (GlpD) and the addition of glycerol were found to reduce the tolerance of P. aeruginosa PAO1 to oxidative stress and to kanamycin. The findings highlight the importance of G3P homeostasis and suggest that GlpD is a potential drug target for the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections.