Delftia tsuruhatensis

Delftia tsuruhatensis is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, catalase- and oxidase-positive, motile bacterium from the Comamonadaceae family. It was first isolated from a wastewater treatment plant in Japan in 2003. D. tsuruhatensis is an opportunistic and emergent pathogen. All documented human infections are healthcare-associated.

Biology and biochemistry

Cells are slightly curved, short rod-shaped cells that occur singly or in pairs. Cells are 0.7–1.2 μm wide and 2.4–4.0 μm long.
D. tsuruhatensis can degrade phenolic compounds and aniline, which are often pollutants of soil and water.

Biofilm interactions

D. tsuruhatensis can inhibit quorum sensing and biofilm formation, which could inform new therapeutic drugs against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. D. tsuruhatensis inhibits quorum sensing and suppresses biofilm formation against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other pathogens. These activities increase P. aeruginosas susceptibility to antibiotics by 2 to 3 times.

Applications

In 2023, researchers published evidence in Science that D. tsuruhatensis prevents the development of malaria in mosquitos by secreting harmane. Mosquitos infected by the bacteria had 75% fewer Plasmodium oocysts and featured infection rates one third those of uninfected mosquitoes.