The pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa negatively affects the attraction response of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to bacteria.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has previously been used to identify virulence mechanisms of bacteria and to characterise host responses to infection. In this study, we have developed an assay to measure C. elegans attraction to bacterial food sources. C. elegans becomes less attracted to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 over time, but this response is not seen with P. aeruginosa strains PAK1 or PA01. P. aeruginosa strain PA14 cells that had been killed by UV light, or which had been exposed to chloramphenicol, did not mediate this effect. We therefore propose that C. elegans reacts to a factor produced by P. aeruginosa strain PA14.