Assessing Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence using a nonmammalian host: Dictyostelium discoideum.

Dictyostelium discoideum, a soil amoeba, can be used as an alternative host to study the virulence of various bacterial species, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A simple quantitative test based on the ability of D. discoideum to grow on a bacterial lawn has been developed using this amoeba to assay the virulence of P. aeruginosa strains. The assay needs to be customized for the strains to be tested in order to be able to discriminate between virulent and avirulent P. aeruginosa strains. These steps are described in this protocol.