Fig. 8: Schematic representation of the results of this study.
From: Cross-membrane cooperation among bacteria can facilitate intracellular pathogenesis
Pseudomonas aeruginosa establishes two groups during infection: an extracellular and an intracellular (vacuolar) group. These vacuolar bacteria have their T3SS switched off. After a certain time, extracellular bacteria turn their T3SS ON. This causes an influx of Ca2+ in a needle/translocon-dependent manner, partially independent of exotoxins. This rapid influx of Ca2+ caused by the extracellular population promotes vacuolar release of intracellular bacteria and enables their rapid replication inside the cytoplasm.
