Plants and animals share functionally common bacterial virulence factors

By exploiting the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to infect a variety of vertebrate and nonvertebrate hosts, we have developed model systems that us e plants and nematodes as adjuncts to mammalian models to help elucidate th e molecular basis of P. aeruginosa pathogenesis. Our studies reveal a remar kable degree of conservation in the virulence mechanisms used by P. aerugin osa to infect hosts of divergent evolutionary origins.