Genetic and Phenotypic Features of a Novel Acinetobacter Species, Strain A47, Isolated From the Clinical Setting

Characterization of BLUF-photoreceptors present in Acinetobacter nosocomialis

Acinetobacter nosocomialis is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, whose ability to cause disease in humans is well recognized. Blue light has been shown to modulate important physiological traits related to persistence and virulence in this microorganism. In this work, we characterized the three Blue Light sensing Using FAD (BLUF) domain-containing proteins encoded in the A. nosocomialis genome, which account for the only canonical light sensors present in this microorganism. By focusing on a light-modulated bacterial process such as motility, the temperature dependence of light regulation was studied, as well as the expression pattern and spectroscopic characteristics of the different A. nosocomialis BLUFs. Our results show that the BLUF-containing proteins AnBLUF65 and AnBLUF46 encode active photoreceptors in the light-regulatory temperature range when expressed recombinantly. In fact, AnBLUF65 is an active photoreceptor in the temperature range from 15°C to 37°C, while AnBLUF46 between 15°C to 32°C, in vitro. In vivo, only the Acinetobacter baumannii BlsA’s ortholog AnBLUF65 was expressed in A. nosocomialis cells recovered from motility plates. Moreover, complementation assays showed that AnBLUF65 is able to mediate light regulation of motility in A. baumannii ΔblsA strain at 30°C, confirming its role as photoreceptor and in modulation of motility by light. Intra-protein interactions analyzed using 3D models built based on A. baumannii´s BlsA photoreceptor, show that hydrophobic/aromatic intra-protein interactions may contribute to the stability of dark/light- adapted states of the studied proteins, reinforcing the previous notion on the importance of these interactions in BLUF photoreceptors. Overall, the results presented here reveal the presence of BLUF photoreceptors in A. nosocomialis with idiosyncratic characteristics respect to the previously characterized A. baumannii’s BlsA, both regarding the photoactivity temperature-dependency as well as expression patterns, contributing thus to broaden our knowledge on the BLUF family.

Human Pleural Fluid and Human Serum Albumin Modulate the Behavior of a Hypervirulent and Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii Representative Strain

Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen capable of causing serious infections associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Due to its antimicrobial drug resistance profile, A. baumannii is categorized as an urgent priority pathogen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States and a priority group 1 critical microorganism by the World Health Organization. Understanding how A. baumannii adapts to different host environments may provide critical insights into strategically targeting this pathogen with novel antimicrobial and biological therapeutics. Exposure to human fluids was previously shown to alter the gene expression profile of a highly drug-susceptible A. baumannii strain A118 leading to persistence and survival of this pathogen. Herein, we explore the impact of human pleural fluid (HPF) and human serum albumin (HSA) on the gene expression profile of a highly multi-drug-resistant strain of A. baumannii AB5075. Differential expression was observed for ~30 genes, whose products are involved in quorum sensing, quorum quenching, iron acquisition, fatty acid metabolism, biofilm formation, secretion systems, and type IV pilus formation. Phenotypic and further transcriptomic analysis using quantitative RT-PCR confirmed RNA-seq data and demonstrated a distinctive role of HSA as the molecule involved in A. baumannii’s response.