{
  "abstract": "Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium and an opportunistic pathogen. Rather than existing as single clonal lineages, environmental and clinical populations often consist of a mixture of distinct strains that directly compete to dominate the niche. To eliminate rivals, P. aeruginosa deploys a form of interference competition termed contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI). CDI is mediated by CdiA, where, upon cell contact, the CdiA C-terminal toxin domain is delivered to prey cells. Toxin-producing cells encode for a cognate CdiI immunity protein to prevent self-intoxication. Different strains of P. aeruginosa encode for CdiA proteins with different C-terminal toxin domains and cognate CdiI immunity proteins. Most studies have relied on engineered strains to investigate the mechanism of CDI. While extremely useful for studying CdiA-mediated intoxication, such work masks the true diversity of wild-type CdiA variants and their impact on competitive interactions between strains. In this study, we systematically investigated CDI-mediated competition using unique conspecific strains of P. aeruginosa. We identified several novel CdiA toxin domains and mapped the competitive outcomes they govern. Furthermore, using a mouse model of acute pneumonia, we demonstrate that CDI-mediated interference competition actively occurs during mixed-strain infections in vivo. Together, our findings reveal that P. aeruginosa leverages CDI as a potent, strain-dependent kin discrimination mechanism that directly shapes population dynamics and strain dominance within host and natural environments.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "N. Peterson"
    },
    {
      "name": "B. Cobe"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Bronson"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "J. Allen"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0zark04y7p5qp.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.30.755834",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.755834v1.full",
  "id": "0zark04y7p5qp",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.755834v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "microbiology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7218914280",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.755834v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-30",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0zark04y7p5qp.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:25:52Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.30.755834",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.755834v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:microbiology",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Contact-dependent growth inhibition drives kin discrimination and shapes in vivo strain dominance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection",
  "title_text": "Contact-dependent growth inhibition drives kin discrimination and shapes in vivo strain dominance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:25:52Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0zark04y7p5qp",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}