Abstract 1189 Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exoenzyme Y Does Not Promote Increased Ubiquitin Expression in Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells at 4 Hours Infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common cause of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). P. aeruginosa infections produce cytotoxic tau oligomers in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVEC) lining capillaries involved in respiratory gas exchange with lung alveoli. Cytotoxic tau released from PMVECs promote neuronal tauopathy. Ubiquitin targets phosphorylated Tau for proteasome degradation. Inhibiting ubiquitination (ubiquitylation) promotes Tau aggregate formation. P. aeruginosa uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject a combination of exoenzymes that may include either ExoS, ExoT, ExoU, and ExoY (e.g.