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Phenazine Pigments in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection

1993; Springer Nature; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/978-1-4615-3036-7_3

1075-1289

Ricardo U. Sorensen, Fred Joseph,

Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria

The phenazines constitute one group of chemical species among a number of groups referred to collectively as secondary metabolites of fluorescent pseudomonads. The other groups include lipids, pyrroles, indoles, amino acids and peptides, pterines, and miscellaneous compounds.1 Phenazines are low molecular weight compounds containing a three-ringed, heterocyclic nucleus with nitrogen substitution at the center positions of 5 and 10. More than 50 naturally occurring phenazines, representing every color of the visible light spectrum, are produced by 32 bacterial species. However, among clinically significant bacteria, the production of phenazine pigments is a distinctive feature of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 2 We have postulated that these small, non-antigenic metabolites may escape neutralization by antibodies and alter lung defense mechanisms in chronic P. aeruginosa infections.3,4 In this chapter we will review the chemical structure and properties of phenazine pigments, their known biological effects, and their possible role in chronic P. aeruginosa infections.