Role of Nitric Oxide-Detoxifying Enzymes in the Virulence ofPseudomonas aeruginosaagainst the Silkworm,Bombyx mori

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has two nitric oxide (NO)-detoxification enzymes, NO reductase and flavohemoglobin, which catalyze the reduction and oxygenation of NO respectively. In this study, the NO reductase-deficient mutant showed decreased virulence against the silkworm Bombyx mori, but the flavohemoglobin-deficient mutant did not, indicating that NO-reduction is important to the full virulence of P. aeruginosa against B. mori.