Biofilm Inhibitor Taurolithocholic Acid Alters Colony Morphology, Specialized Metabolism, and Virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Biofilm inhibition by exogenous molecules
has been an attractive strategy for the development of novel therapeutics.
We investigated the biofilm inhibitor taurolithocholic acid (TLCA)
and its effects on the specialized metabolism, virulence, and biofilm
formation of the clinically relevant bacterium Pseudomonas
aeruginosa strain PA14. Our study shows that TLCA
alters the specialized metabolism, thereby affecting P. aeruginosa colony biofilm physiology. We observed
an upregulation of metabolites correlated to virulence such as the
siderophore pyochelin. A wax moth virulence assay confirmed that treatment
with TLCA increases the virulence of P. aeruginosa. On the basis of our results, we believe that future endeavors to
identify biofilm inhibitors must consider how a putative lead alters
the specialized metabolism of a bacterial community to prevent pathogens
from entering a highly virulent state.