Project description:Transcriptional profiling of A. baumannii ATCC 17978 comparing treated-MMC cultures with non-MMC treated cultures Two-condition experiment A. baumannii 17978 MMC+ vs A. baumannii 17978 MMC-. Biological replicates:3, Technical replicates:2
Project description:Desiccation tolerance has been implicated as an important characteristic that potentiates the spread of the bacterial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii through hospitals on dry surfaces. Despite the potential importance of this stress response, scarce information is available describing the underlying mechanisms of A. baumannii desiccation tolerance. Here we characterize the factors influencing desiccation survival of A. baumannii. At the macroscale level, we find that desiccation tolerance is influenced by cell density, growth phase, and desiccation medium. Our transcriptome analysis indicates that desiccation represents a unique state for A. baumannii compared to commonly studied growth conditions and strongly influences pathways responsible for proteostasis. Remarkably, we find that an increase in total cellular protein aggregates, which is often considered deleterious, correlates positively with the ability of A. baumannii to survive desiccation. We show that artificially inducing protein aggregate formation increases desiccation survival, and more importantly, that proteins incorporated into cellular aggregates can retain activity. Our results suggest that protein aggregates may promote desiccation tolerance in A. baumannii through preserving and protecting proteins from damage during desiccation until rehydration occurs.
Project description:Phages have emerged as prime suspects in the adaptation of pathogens to new hosts and the emergence of new pathogens or epidemic clones. Here we describe the genomic features of “swarms” of three related prophages (Ab105-1ϕ, Ab105-2ϕ and Ab105-3ϕ) present in the ST-2 epidemic clone of Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strain Ab105 GEIH-2010 and not present in genetically related Ab155 GEIH-2000 strain isolated 10 years before. The “Quasicore genome” of Ab105-1ϕ, Ab105-2ϕ and Ab105-3ϕ prophages revealed genes that promote bacterial-host fitness. The results of microarray analysis under stress conditions, SOS response and Quorum Sensing (QS) activation revealed 42% and 21% of genes expressed by Ab105-2ϕ and Ab105-3ϕ prophages (which produce bacterial lysis) in the first case and underexpression of these genes from prophages in the second case. Hence, the QS system plays a major role in the evolution of phages in their natural hosts and environments. Interestingly, in host-virus interactions, RT-PCR showed several mechanisms of overexpression of the SOS response in relation to phage defence mechanisms: i) SAM or AdoMet-MTase (methyltransferases) and MazG protein (pyrophosphohydrolase) associated with phage defence in response to bacterial attack; ii) eukaryotic-like protein kinase (glutamate 5-kinase) associated with prevention of secondary infection by the same or a closely related virus. Overexpression of secretory virulence factors such as oxidoreductase (DsbA-like), anfo-nitrogenase and chromosome segregation proteins were also observed. Moreover, under iron-deficient growth, there was an overexpression by RT-PCR of the a new interesting cluster of genes located following a “Moron” organization in the Ab105-3ϕ prophage being associated with iron uptake systems (Xanthine dehydrogenase gene cluster, Anthranilate operon, ABC transporter and TonB dependent receptor). In conclusion, study of the co-evolution of phages (virus) and bacteria may be essential in the search for means of combatting multi-resistant epidemic clones. Two parental clinical strains of A. baumannii (90% identity, indicated by PFGE, and ST2, indicated by Multilocus Sequence Typing, MLST) isolated in the same Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a Spanish hospital, in 2000 and 2010, during the “I Multicenter Study GEIH-REIPI-Ab-2000” (Ab155 GEIH-2000) and “II Multicenter Study GEIH-REIPI-Ab-2010” (Ab105 GEIH-2010), respectively. Three replicates from RNA of the AB105 GEIH-2010 strain x 2 conditions (SOS response by Mitomycin C) and (Quorum Sensing activation by AHLs mixture).