Calcium homeostasis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa requires multiple transporters and modulates swarming motility

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen causing severe acute and chronic infections. Earlier we have shown that calcium (Ca2+) induces P. aeruginosa biofilm formation and production of virulence factors. To enable further studies of the regulatory role of Ca2+, we characterized Ca2+ homeostasis in P. aeruginosa PAO1 cells. By using Ca2+-binding photoprotein aequorin, we determined that the concentration of free intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]in) is 0.14 ± 0.05 μM. In response to external Ca2+, the [Ca2+]in quickly increased at least 13-fold followed by a multi-phase decline by up to 73%. Growth at elevated Ca2+ modulated this response. Treatment with inhibitors known to affect Ca2+ channels, monovalent cations gradient, or P-type and F-type ATPases impaired [Ca2+]in response, suggesting the importance of the corresponding mechanisms in Ca2+ homeostasis. To identify Ca2+ transporters maintaining this homeostasis, bioinformatic and LC–MS/MS-based membrane proteomic analyses were used. [Ca2+]in homeostasis was monitored for seven Ca2+-affected and eleven bioinformatically predicted transporters by using transposon insertion mutants. Disruption of P-type ATPases PA2435, PA3920, and ion exchanger PA2092 significantly impaired Ca2+ homeostasis. The lack of PA3920 and vanadate treatment abolished Ca2+-induced swarming, suggesting the role of the P-type ATPase in regulating P. aeruginosa response to Ca2+.