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Lucidi M, Visaggio D, Migliaccio A, Capecchi G, Visca P, Imperi F, Zarrilli R. Pathogenicity and virulence of Acinetobacter baumannii: Factors contributing to the fitness in healthcare settings and the infected host. Virulence 2024; 15:2289769. [PMID: 38054753 PMCID: PMC10732645 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2289769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is a common cause of healthcare-associated infections and hospital outbreaks, particularly in intensive care units. Much of the success of A. baumannii relies on its genomic plasticity, which allows rapid adaptation to adversity and stress. The capacity to acquire novel antibiotic resistance determinants and the tolerance to stresses encountered in the hospital environment promote A. baumannii spread among patients and long-term contamination of the healthcare setting. This review explores virulence factors and physiological traits contributing to A. baumannii infection and adaptation to the hospital environment. Several cell-associated and secreted virulence factors involved in A. baumannii biofilm formation, cell adhesion, invasion, and persistence in the host, as well as resistance to xeric stress imposed by the healthcare settings, are illustrated to give reasons for the success of A. baumannii as a hospital pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Lucidi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniela Visaggio
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Imperi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaele Zarrilli
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Sun C, Zhou D, He J, Liu H, Fu Y, Zhou Z, Leptihn S, Yu Y, Hua X, Xu Q. A panel of genotypically and phenotypically diverse clinical Acinetobacter baumannii strains for novel antibiotic development. Microbiol Spectr 2024:e0008624. [PMID: 38916336 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00086-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important pathogens worldwide. The intrinsic and acquired resistance of A. baumannii, coupled with the slow pace of novel antimicrobial drug development, poses an unprecedented and enormous challenge to clinical anti-infective therapy of A. baumannii. Recent studies in the field of pathogenicity, antibiotic resistance, and biofilms of A. baumannii have focused on the model strains, including ATCC 17978, ATCC 19606, and AB5075. However, these model strains represent only a limited portion of the heterogeneity in A. baumannii. Furthermore, variants of these model strains have emerged that show significant diversity not only at the genotypic level but also reflected in differences at the phenotypic levels of capsule, virulence, pathogenicity, and antibiotic resistance. Research on A. baumannii, a key pathogen, would benefit from a standardized approach, which characterizes heterogeneous strains in order to facilitate rapid diagnosis, discovery of new therapeutic targets, and efficacy assessment. Our study provides and describes a standardized, genomically and phenotypically heterogeneous panel of 45 different A. baumannii strains for the research community. In addition, we performed comparative analyses of several phenotypes of this panel. We found that the sequence type 2 (ST2) group showed significantly higher rates of resistance, lower fitness cost for adaptation, and yet less biofilm formation. The Macrocolony type E (MTE, flat center and wavy edge phenotype reported in the literature) group showed a less clear correlation of resistance rates and growth rate, but was observed to produce more biofilms. Our study sheds light on the complex interplay of resistance fitness and biofilm formation within distinct strains, offering insights crucial for combating A. baumannii infection. IMPORTANCE Acinetobacter baumannii is globally notorious, and in an effort to combat the spread of such pathogens, several emerging candidate therapies have already surfaced. However, the strains used to test these therapies vary across studies (the sources and numbers of test strains are varied and often very large, with little heterogeneity). The variation complicates the studies. Furthermore, the limited standardized resources of A. baumannii strains have greatly restricted the research on the physiology, pathogenicity, and antibiotic resistance. Therefore, it is crucial for the research community to acquire a standardized and heterogeneous panel of A. baumannii. Our study meticulously selected 45 diverse A. baumannii strains from a total of 2,197 clinical isolates collected from 64 different hospitals across 27 provinces in China, providing a scientific reference for the research community. This assistance will significantly facilitate scientific exchange in academic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunli Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh (ZJU-UoE) Institute, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang, China
| | - Danyan Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jintao He
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haiyang Liu
- Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Fu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhihui Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Sebastian Leptihn
- Department of Antimicrobial Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy & Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry, Health and Medical University, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Yunsong Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoting Hua
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
- Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qingye Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Fimbres-García JO, Flores-Sauceda M, Othón-Díaz ED, García-Galaz A, Tapia-Rodriguez MR, Silva-Espinoza BA, Alvarez-Armenta A, Ayala-Zavala JF. Lippia graveolens Essential Oil to Enhance the Effect of Imipenem against Axenic and Co-Cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:444. [PMID: 38786172 PMCID: PMC11117758 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13050444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
This research focuses on assessing the synergistic effects of Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) essential oil or carvacrol when combined with the antibiotic imipenem, aiming to reduce the pathogenic viability and virulence of Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study highlighted the synergistic effect of combining L. graveolens essential oil or carvacrol with imipenem, significantly reducing the required doses for inhibiting bacterial growth. The combination treatments drastically lowered the necessary imipenem doses, highlighting a potent enhancement in efficacy against A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa. For example, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for the essential oil/imipenem combinations were notably low, at 0.03/0.000023 mg/mL for A. baumannii and 0.0073/0.000023 mg/mL for P. aeruginosa. Similarly, the combinations significantly inhibited biofilm formation at lower concentrations than when the components were used individually, demonstrating the strategic advantage of this approach in combating antibiotic resistance. For OXA-51, imipenem showed a relatively stable interaction during 30 ns of dynamic simulation of their interaction, indicating changes (<2 nm) in ligand positioning during this period. Carvacrol exhibited similar fluctuations to imipenem, suggesting its potential inhibition efficacy, while thymol showed significant variability, particularly at >10 ns, suggesting potential instability. With IMP-1, imipenem also displayed very stable interactions during 38 ns and demonstrated notable movement and positioning changes within the active site, indicating a more dynamic interaction. In contrast, carvacrol and thymol maintained their position within the active site only ~20 and ~15 ns, respectively. These results highlight the effectiveness of combining L. graveolens essential oil and carvacrol with imipenem in tackling the difficult-to-treat pathogens A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge O. Fimbres-García
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico; (J.O.F.-G.); (A.G.-G.); (B.A.S.-E.)
| | - Marcela Flores-Sauceda
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico; (J.O.F.-G.); (A.G.-G.); (B.A.S.-E.)
| | - Elsa Daniela Othón-Díaz
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico; (J.O.F.-G.); (A.G.-G.); (B.A.S.-E.)
| | - Alfonso García-Galaz
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico; (J.O.F.-G.); (A.G.-G.); (B.A.S.-E.)
| | - Melvin R. Tapia-Rodriguez
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Ciencias Alimentarias, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora, 5 de Febrero 818 Sur, Col. Centro, Ciudad Obregón 85000, Sonora, Mexico;
| | - Brenda A. Silva-Espinoza
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico; (J.O.F.-G.); (A.G.-G.); (B.A.S.-E.)
| | - Andres Alvarez-Armenta
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62250, Morelos, Mexico;
| | - J. Fernando Ayala-Zavala
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Carretera Gustavo Enrique Astiazarán Rosas 46, Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico; (J.O.F.-G.); (A.G.-G.); (B.A.S.-E.)
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Maure A, Robino E, Van der Henst C. The intracellular life of Acinetobacter baumannii. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:1238-1250. [PMID: 37487768 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative opportunistic bacterium responsible for nosocomial and community-acquired infections. This pathogen is globally disseminated and associated with high levels of antibiotic resistance, which makes it an important threat to human health. Recently, new evidence showed that several A. baumannii isolates can survive and proliferate within eukaryotic professional and/or nonprofessional phagocytic cells, with in vivo consequences. This review provides updated information and describes the tools that A. baumannii possesses to adhere, colonize, and replicate in host cells. Additionally, we emphasize the high genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity detected amongst A. baumannii isolates and its impact on the bacterial intracellular features. We also discuss the need for standardized methods to characterize this pathogen robustly and consequently consider some strains as facultative intracellular bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Maure
- Microbial Resistance and Drug Discovery, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Etienne Robino
- Microbial Resistance and Drug Discovery, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charles Van der Henst
- Microbial Resistance and Drug Discovery, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
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Maharjan RP, Sullivan GJ, Adams F, Shah B, Hawkey J, Delgado N, Semenec L, Dinh H, Li L, Short F, Parkhill J, Paulsen I, Barquist L, Eijkelkamp B, Cain A. DksA is a conserved master regulator of stress response in Acinetobacter baumannii. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:6101-6119. [PMID: 37158230 PMCID: PMC10325922 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Coordination of bacterial stress response mechanisms is critical for long-term survival in harsh environments for successful host infection. The general and specific stress responses of well-studied Gram-negative pathogens like Escherichia coli are controlled by alternative sigma factors, archetypically RpoS. The deadly hospital pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is notoriously resistant to environmental stresses, yet it lacks RpoS, and the molecular mechanisms driving this incredible stress tolerance remain poorly defined. Here, using functional genomics, we identified the transcriptional regulator DksA as a master regulator for broad stress protection and virulence in A. baumannii. Transcriptomics, phenomics and in vivo animal studies revealed that DksA controls ribosomal protein expression, metabolism, mutation rates, desiccation, antibiotic resistance, and host colonization in a niche-specific manner. Phylogenetically, DksA was highly conserved and well-distributed across Gammaproteobacteria, with 96.6% containing DksA, spanning 88 families. This study lays the groundwork for understanding DksA as a major regulator of general stress response and virulence in this important pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram P Maharjan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Geraldine J Sullivan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Felise G Adams
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Bhumika S Shah
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Jane Hawkey
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natasha Delgado
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Lucie Semenec
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Hue Dinh
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Liping Li
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Francesca L Short
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC3800, Australia
| | - Julian Parkhill
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, 97080Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bart A Eijkelkamp
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Amy K Cain
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia
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Breine A, Van Holsbeeck K, Martin C, Gonzalez S, Mannes M, Pardon E, Steyaert J, Remaut H, Ballet S, Van der Henst C. Bypassing the Need for Cell Permeabilization: Nanobody CDR3 Peptide Improves Binding on Living Bacteria. Bioconjug Chem 2023. [PMID: 37418494 PMCID: PMC10360062 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Membrane interaction constitutes to be an essential parameter in the mode of action of entities such as proteins, as well as cell-penetrating and antimicrobial peptides, resulting in noninvasive or lytic activities depending on the membrane compositions and interactions. Recently, a nanobody able to interact with the top priority, multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii was discovered, although binding took place with fixed cells only. To potentially overcome this limitation, linear peptides corresponding to the complementarity-determining regions (CDR) were synthesized and fluorescently labeled. Microscopy data indicated clear membrane interactions of the CDR3 sequence with living A. baumannii cells, indicating both the importance of the CDR3 as part of the parent nanobody paratope and the improved binding ability and thus avoiding the need for permeabilization of the cells. In addition, cyclization of the peptide with an additionally introduced rigidifying 1,2,3-triazole bridge retains its binding ability while proteolytically protecting the peptide. Overall, this study resulted in the discovery of novel peptides binding a multidrug-resistant pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Breine
- Microbial Resistance and Drug Discovery, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - K Van Holsbeeck
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - C Martin
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Gonzalez
- CNRS, BioCIS, CY Cergy-Paris Université, 95000 Neuville sur Oise, France
| | - M Mannes
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - E Pardon
- Microbial Resistance and Drug Discovery, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - J Steyaert
- Microbial Resistance and Drug Discovery, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - H Remaut
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Structural and Molecular Microbiology, Structural Biology Research Center, VIB, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Ballet
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - C Van der Henst
- Microbial Resistance and Drug Discovery, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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