Diversity, Transmission and Selective Pressure on the Proteome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is often described as a ubiquitous species in the natural environment, in addition to its role as an opportunistic pathogen to both humans and animals. Strains isolated from clinical and natural environments reveal extensive diversity in the characteristics of P. aeruginosa and this chapter explores the relationship between phenotypes and the proteome. We explore the potential selective pressures on the proteome that arise from the diverse lifestyles of P. aeruginosa and the capacity of mass spectrometry techniques to capture such proteomic changes. A comparative proteogenomic analysis also examines the potential proteomic adaptive process, which varies between two clonal lineages, and we highlight unique genomic and proteomic markers that may divide these clades. Collectively, this chapter discusses the role of such proteomic changes in P. aeruginosa transmission processes, which are becoming increasingly important to understand as the species presents with further antibiotic resistances across all of its sources.