Adenylate cyclase activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ExoY can mediate bleb-niche formation in epithelial cells and contributes to virulence

► ExoY, a P. aeruginosa type three-secreted toxin, causes epithelial cell bleb-niches. ► ExoY also contributes to P. aeruginosa corneal infection in SP-D deficient mice. ► Both of these ExoY-mediated effects required the toxin's adenylate cyclase domain. ► ExoY-induced blebs did not coincide with increased bacterial intracellular survival. ► ExoY and ExoS likely target different host cell pathways to induce bleb-niches.