Exploring the Role of Azurin from the Endophytic Bacterium Pseudomonas sp. OHS18 Through the Phenotypic Characterization of a Δazu Mutant

Abstract

Azurin is a promising antitumor agent that selectively enters cancer cells and inhibits tumor progression. It is also known to participate in cellular processes involving single-electron transfer, including protection against oxidative stress, anaerobic respiration, and denitrification. However, the physiological role of azurin remains poorly understood. In this work, a multifaceted phenotypic characterization of an azurin-deficient mutant (Δazu) of the plant endophytic bacterium Pseudomonas sp. OHS18 was performed, using complementary approaches and technologies. Deletion of the azu gene did not affect resistance to antibiotics, copper, or hydrogen peroxide, while nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomic analysis revealed that the Δazu strain was moderately impaired in maintaining metabolic homeostasis from the exponential to the stationary growth phase. Phenotype microarray analyses showed that the two strains exhibited largely similar metabolic and resistance profiles, except for bromosuccinic acid utilization, under which the Δazu strain displayed reduced growth. This phenotype was further associated with a reduced ability of the mutant to colonize Arabidopsis thaliana, suggesting a role for azurin in maintaining the plant–bacterium association. Overall, these findings provide new insights into the physiological role of azurin in environmental bacteria and suggest its involvement in bacterium–eukaryote interactions, thereby opening new perspectives for biotechnological and biomedical applications.