Project description:In the present work we compare the gene expression profile of A. baumannii and a mutant knock-out strain of A. baumannii lacking a small RNA gene 13573 and the corresponding small RNA 13573 over-producing strain. The main objective is to recognize the main pathways in which the small RNA 13573 is involved. Moreover, the same wild type strain was used to infect mice and was further analyzed after the infection with the aim of finding genes differentially expressed in vivo. Three biological replicates have been performed for each comparison. The RNA collection from Acinetobacter baumannii strain over-expresing the small RNA (sample 13573) was compared with this isolated from A. baumannii harboring the empty vector (PETRA sample) while gene expression in the knock-out strain (KO sample) was compared with the wild type strain Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 17978 (ATCC sample). The RNA from A.baumannii recovered from the infected animals (INF sample) was compared with the wild type (ATCC).
Project description:Acinetobacter baumannii A1S_1874 gene encodes as a LysR-type transcriptional regulator. LysR family regulators known to regulate biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and the expression of diverse genes in other Gram-negative bacteria. However, A1S-1874 has never been characterized in Acinetobacter baumannii, and the studies about the regulon of A1S-1874 are not discovered. In this study we revealed that A1S_1874 differentially regulates at least 302 genes including the csu pilus operon, N-acylhomoserine lactone synthese gene, A1S_0112-A1S_0118 operon, type 1v secretion system related genes that are involved in biofilm formation, surface motility, adherence, quorum sensing and virulence. Overall, our data suggests that A1S-1874 is a key regulator of Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm formation and gene expression.
Project description:Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative pathogen that has emerged as one of the most troublesome pathogens for health care institutions globally. Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) is a process of cell-to-cell communication that relies on the production, secretion and detection of autoinducer (AI) signals to share information about cell density and regulate gene expression accordingly. The molecular and genetic basis of Acinetobacter baumannii virulence remains poorly understood. Therefore, the contribution of the abaI/abaR quorum sensing system to growth characteristics, morphology, biofilm formation, resistance, motility and virulence of Acinetobacter baumannii was studied in detail. RNA-seq analysis indicated that genes involved in various aspects of energy production and conversion, Valine, leucine and isoleucine degradation and lipid transport and metabolism are associated with bacterial pathogenicity. Our work provides a new insight into abaI/abaR quorum sensing system effects pathogenicity in A. baumannii. We propose that targeting the AHL synthase enzyme abaI could provide an effective strategy for attenuating virulence. On the contrary, interdicting the autoinducer synthase–receptor abaR elicits unpredictable consequences, which may lead to enhanced bacterial virulence.
Project description:In this study we compare logrithmically grown Acinetobacter baumannii wildtype to a transposon mutant that is disrupted in gshA, the first step in glutathione biosynthesis using RNASeq to identify novel pathways where glutathione may be involved.
Project description:A major reservoir for spread of the emerging pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is hopsital surfaces, where bacteria persist in a desiccated state. To identify gene products influencing desiccation survival, a transposon sequencing (Tn-seq) screen was performed. Using this approach, we identified genes both positively and negatively impacting the desiccation tolerance of A. baumannii.