Deciphering the iron response in Acinetobacter baumannii: A proteomics approach

First Report on the Versatile Secretome of an Environmental Isolate Acinetobacter pittii S-30

Acinetobacter species is currently ranked as high-priority pathogen for their extraordinary ability to become resistant to almost all existing antibiotics. The diverse range of effectors secreted by Acinetobacter spp. constitutes a significant proportion of the virulence arsenal. Therefore, our study aims to characterize the secretome of Acinetobacter pittii S-30. Analysis of extracellular secreted proteins of A. pittii S-30 revealed the presence of transporter proteins, outer membrane proteins, molecular chaperones, porins, and several proteins of unknown function. Additionally, proteins related to metabolism, as well as those involved in gene expression and protein translation, type VI secretion system (T6SS) proteins, and stress response-related proteins were also identified in the secretome. The comprehensive analysis of secretome revealed putative protein antigens which could elicit substantial immune response. The limited availability of effective antibiotics and the worldwide growth of secretome data make this approach appealing in the development of effective vaccines against Acinetobacter and other bacterial pathogens.