Pseudomonas Keratitis: Protease IV Gene Conservation, Distribution, and Production Relative to Virulence and Other<i>Pseudomonas</i>Proteases

The protease IV gene and its product are common to P. aeruginosa, but not to other Pseudomonas species. Protease IV activity varies among P. aeruginosa strains, and a mutant specifically deficient in this activity produced alkaline protease and had reduced corneal virulence.