Pyocyanin: Production, Applications, Challenges and New Insights

Overview

Journal World J Microbiol Biotechnol

Publisher Springer

Specialties Biotechnology
Microbiology

Date 2013 Nov 12

PMID 24214679

Citations 82

Authors

Sheeba Jayaseelan

Damotharan Ramaswamy

Selvakumar Dharmaraj

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic, Gram-negative bacterium and is one of the most commercially and biotechnologically valuable microorganisms. Strains of P. aeruginosa secrete a variety of redox-active phenazine compounds, the most well studied being pyocyanin. Pyocyanin is responsible for the blue-green colour characteristic of Pseudomonas spp. It is considered both as a virulence factor and a quorum sensing signalling molecule for P. aeruginosa. Pyocyanin is an electrochemically active metabolite, involved in a variety of significant biological activities including gene expression, maintaining fitness of bacterial cells and biofilm formation. It is also recognised as an electron shuttle for bacterial respiration and as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. This review summarises recent advances of pyocyanin production from P. aeruginosa with special attention to antagonistic property and bio-control activity. The review also covers the challenges and new insights into pyocyanin from P. aeruginosa.

Citing Articles

sp. nov., a novel psychrotolerant species produces antimicrobial agents targeting resistant clinical isolates of .

Snopkova K, Sedlar K, Novakova D, Stankova E, Sedlacek I, Sedo O Curr Res Microb Sci. 2025; 8:100353.

PMID: 39968173 PMC: 11833414. DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2025.100353.

Recent Advances in Phenazine Natural Products: Chemical Structures and Biological Activities.

Huang W, Wan Y, Zhang S, Wang C, Zhang Z, Su H Molecules. 2024; 29(19).

PMID: 39407699 PMC: 11477647. DOI: 10.3390/molecules29194771.

Cultivation in long-term simulated microgravity is detrimental to pyocyanin production and subsequent biofilm formation ability of .

Chen K, Vu L, Vollmer A Microbiol Spectr. 2024; 12(10):e0021124.

PMID: 39162544 PMC: 11448113. DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00211-24.

1-1,2,3-triazol-1,4-naphthoquinone Derivatives: Novel Inhibitors Targeting Pyocyanin Biosynthesis for Infection Treatment Advances.

Costa D, Froes T, Mendes M, Forezi L, Ferreira V, Castilho M Curr Top Med Chem. 2024; 24(24):2161-2171.

PMID: 39136508 DOI: 10.2174/0115680266327024240726111230.

Pigments from pathogenic bacteria: a comprehensive update on recent advances.

Acharya K, Shaw S, Bhattacharya S, Biswas S, Bhandary S, Bhattacharya A World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024; 40(9):270.

PMID: 39030429 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-04076-x.

References

Cox C . Role of pyocyanin in the acquisition of iron from transferrin. Infect Immun. 1986; 52(1):263-70. PMC: 262229. DOI: 10.1128/iai.52.1.263-270.1986. View

Kaleli I, Cevahir N, Demir M, Yildirim U, Sahin R . Anticandidal activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from clinical specimens. Mycoses. 2007; 50(1):74-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0507.2006.01322.x. View

Winstanley C, Fothergill J . The role of quorum sensing in chronic cystic fibrosis Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2008; 290(1):1-9. DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2008.01394.x. View

Rada B, Leto T . Pyocyanin effects on respiratory epithelium: relevance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa airway infections. Trends Microbiol. 2012; 21(2):73-81. PMC: 3565070. DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2012.10.004. View

Young G . Pigment Production and Antibiotic Activity in Cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol. 1947; 54(2):109-17. PMC: 526526. DOI: 10.1128/jb.54.2.109-117.1947. View

Gohain N, Thomashow L, Mavrodi D, Blankenfeldt W . The purification, crystallization and preliminary structural characterization of PhzM, a phenazine-modifying methyltransferase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun. 2006; 62(Pt 9):887-90. PMC: 2242881. DOI: 10.1107/S1744309106029149. View

Kerr J . Suppression of fungal growth exhibited by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Clin Microbiol. 1994; 32(2):525-7. PMC: 263067. DOI: 10.1128/jcm.32.2.525-527.1994. View

Lau G, Hassett D, Ran H, Kong F . The role of pyocyanin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Trends Mol Med. 2004; 10(12):599-606. DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2004.10.002. View

Baron S, Rowe J . Antibiotic action of pyocyanin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1981; 20(6):814-20. PMC: 181804. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.20.6.814. View

10.

Rahman P, Pasirayi G, Auger V, Ali Z . Development of a simple and low cost microbioreactor for high-throughput bioprocessing. Biotechnol Lett. 2008; 31(2):209-14. DOI: 10.1007/s10529-008-9853-8. View

11.

HOLLSTEIN U, McCamey D . Biosynthesis of phenazines. II. Incorporation of (6-14C)-D-shikimic acid into phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and iodinin. J Org Chem. 1973; 38(19):3415-7. DOI: 10.1021/jo00959a041. View

12.

Ho Sui S, Fedynak A, Hsiao W, Langille M, Brinkman F . The association of virulence factors with genomic islands. PLoS One. 2009; 4(12):e8094. PMC: 2779486. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008094. View

13.

Kerr J, Taylor G, Rutman A, Hoiby N, COLE P, Wilson R . Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine inhibit fungal growth. J Clin Pathol. 1999; 52(5):385-7. PMC: 1023078. DOI: 10.1136/jcp.52.5.385. View

14.

FRANK L, Demoss R . On the biosynthesis of pyocyanine. J Bacteriol. 1959; 77(6):776-82. PMC: 290463. DOI: 10.1128/jb.77.6.776-782.1959. View

15.

Cook R . Making greater use of introduced microorganisms for biological control of plant pathogens. Annu Rev Phytopathol. 1993; 31:53-80. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.py.31.090193.000413. View

16.

Lundgren B, Thornton W, Dornan M, Villegas-Penaranda L, Boddy C, Nomura C . Gene PA2449 is essential for glycine metabolism and pyocyanin biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. J Bacteriol. 2013; 195(9):2087-100. PMC: 3624589. DOI: 10.1128/JB.02205-12. View

17.

De Vleesschauwer D, Cornelis P, Hofte M . Redox-active pyocyanin secreted by Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7NSK2 triggers systemic resistance to Magnaporthe grisea but enhances Rhizoctonia solani susceptibility in rice. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 2006; 19(12):1406-19. DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-19-1406. View

18.

KING E, Ward M, RANEY D . Two simple media for the demonstration of pyocyanin and fluorescin. J Lab Clin Med. 1954; 44(2):301-7. View

19.

Gibson J, Sood A, Hogan D . Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Candida albicans interactions: localization and fungal toxicity of a phenazine derivative. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008; 75(2):504-13. PMC: 2620721. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.01037-08. View

20.

Fothergill J, Panagea S, A Hart C, Walshaw M, Pitt T, Winstanley C . Widespread pyocyanin over-production among isolates of a cystic fibrosis epidemic strain. BMC Microbiol. 2007; 7:45. PMC: 1890549. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-7-45. View