AECs were infected with RSV or mock infected (MEM control) for 48 h. Biotinylated-transferrin was added to the basolateral chamber of RSV or mock-infected AECs at a final concentration of 25 μg/mL. EVs were collected from the apical CM of AECs 24 h later, and biotinylated-transferrin was affinity purified from EV preparations with streptavidin-coated beads. Bead-bound proteins were eluted from the resin (transferrin IP), and supernatant from the streptavidin resin (IP Sup) were separated by SDS-PAGE.
(A) Schematic of experimental design.
(B) Transcytosed transferrin and protein markers of EVs were measured by western blot analysis in transferrin IP (biotin-positive) and IP Sup (biotin-negative) fractions.
(C) P. aeruginosa (GFP) was grown in the presence of EVs in static abiotic biofilm assays after biotin affinity purification to remove transferrin-positive EVs (grid unit = 7.5 μm).
(D) Free, EV-unbound transferrin sources (apo- and holo-transferrin; iron-free and iron-replete, respectively) dissolved in MEM do not promote P. aeruginosa (GFP, green) biofilm growth. Biofilm growth was measured by static abiotic biofilm assays (grid unit = 7.5 μm).
Control, EVs from mock-infected AECs; RSV, EVs from RSV-infected AECs. For all experiments n ≥ 3. Data are presented as means ± SD. *p < 0.05 versus control.