Enterococcus faecalis antagonizes Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth in mixed-species interactions

Enterococcus faecalis is often co-isolated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mixed-species biofilm-associated infections of wounds and the urinary tract. As a defence strategy, the host innately restricts iron availability at infection sites. Despite their co-prevalence, the polymicrobial interactions of these two pathogens in low iron conditions, such as those found in the host, remains unexplored. Here we show that E. faecalis inhibits P. aeruginosa growth within macrocolony biofilms when iron is restricted. E. faecalis lactate dehydrogenase (ldh1) gives rise to L-lactate production during fermentative growth. We find that E. faecalis ldh1 mutant fails to inhibit P. aeruginosa growth. Additionally, we demonstrate that ldh1 expression is induced when iron is restricted, resulting in increased lactic acid exported and consequently, a reduction in pH. Together, our results suggest that E. faecalis synergistically impact P. aeruginosa growth negatively by decreasing environmental pH and L-lactate-mediated iron chelation. Overall, this study highlights that the microenvironment in which the infection occurs is important for understanding its pathophysiology. Overall design: We aim to identify genes that are differentially expressed by E. faecalis and/or P. aeruginosa when grown in unchelated and iron-chelated conditions.