scholarly journals Dual Role of gnaA in Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence in Acinetobacter baumannii

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingye Xu ◽  
Tao Chen ◽  
Biyong Yan ◽  
Linyue Zhang ◽  
Borui Pi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii is an important Gram-negative pathogen in hospital-related infections. However, treatment options for A. baumannii infections have become limited due to multidrug resistance. Bacterial virulence is often associated with capsule genes found in the K locus, many of which are essential for biosynthesis of the bacterial envelope. However, the roles of other genes in the K locus remain largely unknown. From an in vitro evolution experiment, we obtained an isolate of the virulent and multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strain MDR-ZJ06, called MDR-ZJ06M, which has an insertion by the ISAba16 transposon in gnaA (encoding UDP-N-acetylglucosamine C-6 dehydrogenase), a gene found in the K locus. The isolate showed an increased resistance toward tigecycline, whereas the MIC decreased in the case of carbapenems, cephalosporins, colistin, and minocycline. By using knockout and complementation experiments, we demonstrated that gnaA is important for the synthesis of lipooligosaccharide and capsular polysaccharide and that disruption of the gene affects the morphology, drug susceptibility, and virulence of the pathogen.

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sazlyna Mohd Sazlly Lim ◽  
Aaron J. Heffernan ◽  
Jason A. Roberts ◽  
Fekade B. Sime

ABSTRACT Due to limited treatment options for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CR-AB) infections, antibiotic combinations are now considered potential treatments for CR-AB. This study aimed to explore the utility of fosfomycin-sulbactam combination (FOS/SUL) therapy against CR-AB isolates. Synergism of FOS/SUL against 50 clinical CR-AB isolates was screened using the checkerboard method. Thereafter, time-kill studies against two CR-AB isolates were performed. The time-kill data were described using a semimechanistic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model. Monte Carlo simulations were then performed to estimate the probability of stasis, 1-log kill, and 2-log kill after 24 h of combination therapy. The FOS/SUL combination demonstrated a synergistic effect against 74% of isolates. No antagonism was observed. The MIC50 and MIC90 of FOS/SUL were decreased 4- to 8-fold, compared to the monotherapy MIC50 and MIC90. In the time-kill studies, the combination displayed bactericidal activity against both isolates and synergistic activity against one isolate at the highest clinically achievable concentrations. Our PK/PD model was able to describe the interaction between fosfomycin and sulbactam in vitro. Bacterial kill was mainly driven by sulbactam, with fosfomycin augmentation. FOS/SUL regimens that included sulbactam at 4 g every 8 h demonstrated a probability of target attainment of 1-log10 kill at 24 h of ∼69 to 76%, compared to ∼15 to 30% with monotherapy regimens at the highest doses. The reduction in the MIC values and the achievement of a moderate PTA of a 2-log10 reduction in bacterial burden demonstrated that FOS/SUL may potentially be effective against some CR-AB infections.


2016 ◽  
Vol 198 (23) ◽  
pp. 3209-3219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. Renda ◽  
Cindy Chan ◽  
Kristin N. Parent ◽  
Jeffrey E. Barrick

ABSTRACTBacterial genomes commonly contain prophage sequences as a result of past infections with lysogenic phages. Many of these integrated viral sequences are believed to be cryptic, but prophage genes are sometimes coopted by the host, and some prophages may be reactivated to form infectious particles when cells are stressed or mutate. We found that a previously uncharacterized filamentous phage emerged from the genome ofAcinetobacter baylyiADP1 during a laboratory evolution experiment. This phage has a genetic organization similar to that of theVibrio choleraeCTXϕ phage. The emergence of the ADP1 phage was associated with the evolution of reduced transformability in our experimental populations, so we named it thecompetence-reducingacinetobacter phage (CRAϕ). Knocking out ADP1 genes required for competence leads to resistance to CRAϕ infection. Although filamentous bacteriophages are known to target type IV pili, this is the first report of a phage that apparently uses a competence pilus as a receptor.A. baylyimay be especially susceptible to this route of infection because every cell is competent during normal growth, whereas competence is induced only under certain environmental conditions or in a subpopulation of cells in other bacterial species. It is possible that CRAϕ-like phages restrict horizontal gene transfer in nature by inhibiting the growth of naturally transformable strains. We also found that prophages with homology to CRAϕ exist in several strains ofAcinetobacter baumannii. These CRAϕ-likeA. baumanniiprophages encode toxins similar to CTXϕ that might contribute to the virulence of this opportunistic multidrug-resistant pathogen.IMPORTANCEWe observed the emergence of a novel filamentous phage (CRAϕ) from the genome ofAcinetobacter baylyiADP1 during a long-term laboratory evolution experiment. CRAϕ is the first bacteriophage reported to require the molecular machinery involved in the uptake of environmental DNA for infection. Reactivation and evolution of CRAϕ reduced the potential for horizontal transfer of genes via natural transformation in our experiment. Risk of infection by similar phages may limit the expression and maintenance of bacterial competence in nature. The closest studied relative of CRAϕ is theVibrio choleraeCTXϕ phage. Variants of CRAϕ are found in the genomes ofAcinetobacter baumanniistrains, and it is possible that phage-encoded toxins contribute to the virulence of this opportunistic multidrug-resistant pathogen.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 2280-2285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert K. Flamm ◽  
Paul R. Rhomberg ◽  
Ronald N. Jones ◽  
David J. Farrell

ABSTRACTRX-P873 is a novel antibiotic from the pyrrolocytosine series which exhibits high binding affinity for the bacterial ribosome and broad-spectrum antibiotic properties. The pyrrolocytosines have shownin vitroactivity against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains of bacteria known to cause complicated urinary tract, skin, and lung infections, as well as sepsis.Enterobacteriaceae(657),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(200), andAcinetobacter baumannii(202) isolates from North America and Europe collected in 2012 as part of a worldwide surveillance program were testedin vitroby broth microdilution using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) methodology. RX-P873 (MIC90, 0.5 μg/ml) was >32-fold more active than ceftazidime and inhibited 97.1% and 99.5% ofEnterobacteriaceaeisolates at MIC values of ≤1 and ≤4 μg/ml, respectively. There were only three isolates with an MIC value of >4 μg/ml (all were indole-positiveProtea). RX-P873 (MIC50/90, 2/4 μg/ml) was highly active againstPseudomonas aeruginosaisolates, including isolates which were nonsusceptible to ceftazidime or meropenem. RX-P873 was 2-fold less active againstP. aeruginosathan tobramycin (MIC90, 2 μg/ml; 91.0% susceptible) and colistin (MIC90, 2 μg/ml; 99.5% susceptible) and 2-fold more potent than amikacin (MIC90, 8 μg/ml; 93.5% susceptible) and meropenem (MIC90, 8 μg/ml; 76.0% susceptible). RX-P873, the most active agent againstAcinetobacter baumannii(MIC90, 1 μg/ml), was 2-fold more active than colistin (MIC90, 2 μg/ml; 97.0% susceptible) and 4-fold more active than tigecycline (MIC90, 4 μg/ml). This novel agent merits further exploration of its potential against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. McLeod ◽  
Samir H. Moussa ◽  
Meredith A. Hackel ◽  
Alita A. Miller

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (ABC) organisms cause severe infections that are difficult to treat due to preexisting antibiotic resistance. Sulbactam-durlobactam (formerly sulbactam-ETX2514) (SUL-DUR) is a β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor combination antibiotic designed to treat serious infections caused by ABC organisms, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. The in vitro antibacterial activities of SUL-DUR and comparator agents were determined by broth microdilution against 1,722 clinical isolates of ABC organisms collected in 2016 and 2017 from 31 countries across Asia/South Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Over 50% of these isolates were resistant to carbapenems. Against this collection of global isolates, SUL-DUR had a MIC50/MIC90 of 1/2 μg/ml compared to a MIC50/MIC90 of 8/64 μg/ml for sulbactam alone. This level of activity was found to be consistent across organisms, regions, sources of infection, and subsets of resistance phenotypes, including MDR and extensively drug-resistant isolates. The SUL-DUR activity was superior to those of the tested comparators, with only colistin having similar potency. Whole-genome sequencing of the 39 isolates (2.3%) with a SUL-DUR MIC of >4 μg/ml revealed that these strains encoded either the metallo-β-lactamase NDM-1, which durlobactam does not inhibit, or single amino acid substitutions near the active site of penicillin binding protein 3 (PBP3), the primary target of sulbactam. In summary, SUL-DUR demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against recent, geographically diverse clinical isolates of ABC organisms, including MDR isolates.


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Pérez-Varela ◽  
Aimee R. P. Tierney ◽  
Ju-Sim Kim ◽  
Andrés Vázquez-Torres ◽  
Philip Rather

ABSTRACT In response to nutrient depletion, the RelA and SpoT proteins generate the signaling molecule (p)ppGpp, which then controls a number of downstream effectors to modulate cell physiology. In Acinetobacter baumannii strain AB5075, a relA ortholog (ABUW_3302) was identified by a transposon insertion that conferred an unusual colony phenotype. An in-frame deletion in relA (ΔrelA) failed to produce detectable levels of ppGpp when amino acid starvation was induced with serine hydroxamate. The ΔrelA mutant was blocked from switching from the virulent opaque colony variant (VIR-O) to the avirulent translucent colony variant (AV-T), but the rate of AV-T to VIR-O switching was unchanged. In addition, the ΔrelA mutation resulted in a pronounced hypermotile phenotype on 0.35% agar plates. This hypermotility was dependent on the activation of a LysR regulator ABUW_1132, which was required for expression of AbaR, a LuxR family quorum-sensing regulator. In the ΔrelA mutant, ABUW_1132 was also required for the increased expression of an operon composed of the ABUW_3766-ABUW_3773 genes required for production of the surfactant-like lipopeptide acinetin 505. Additional phenotypes identified in the ΔrelA mutant included (i) cell elongation at high density, (ii) reduced formation of persister cells tolerant to colistin and rifampin, and (iii) decreased virulence in a Galleria mellonella model. IMPORTANCE Acinetobacter baumannii is a pathogen of worldwide importance. Due to the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, these infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. New therapies are required to combat multidrug-resistant isolates. The role of RelA in A. baumannii is largely unknown. This study demonstrates that like in other bacteria, RelA controls a variety of functions, including virulence. Strategies to inhibit the activity of RelA and the resulting production of ppGpp could inhibit virulence and may represent a new therapeutic approach.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 2671-2679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mya Thandar ◽  
Rolf Lood ◽  
Benjamin Y. Winer ◽  
Douglas R. Deutsch ◽  
Chad W. Euler ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniiis a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen responsible for a range of nosocomial infections. The recent rise and spread of multidrug-resistantA. baumanniiclones has fueled a search for alternative therapies, including bacteriophage endolysins with potent antibacterial activities. A common feature of these lysins is the presence of a highly positively charged C-terminal domain with a likely role in promoting outer membrane penetration. In the present study, we show that the C-terminal amino acids 108 to 138 of phage lysin PlyF307, named P307, alone were sufficient to killA. baumannii(>3 logs). Furthermore, P307 could be engineered for improved activity, the most active derivative being P307SQ-8C(>5-log kill). Both P307 and P307SQ-8Cshowed highin vitroactivity againstA. baumanniiin biofilms. Moreover, P307SQ-8Cexhibited MICs comparable to those of levofloxacin and ceftazidime and acted synergistically with polymyxin B. Although the peptides were shown to kill by disrupting the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane, they did not lyse human red blood cells or B cells; however, serum was found to be inhibitory to lytic activity. In a murine model ofA. baumanniiskin infection, P307SQ-8Creduced the bacterial burden by ∼2 logs in 2 h. This study demonstrates the prospect of using peptide derivatives from bacteriophage lysins to treat topical infections and remove biofilms caused by Gram-negative pathogens.


2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. e02584-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory G. Stone ◽  
Paul Newell ◽  
Patricia A. Bradford

ABSTRACT The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens has generated a requirement for new treatment options. Avibactam, a novel non-β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor, restores the activity of ceftazidime against Ambler class A, C, and some class D β-lactamase-producing strains of Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The in vitro activities of ceftazidime-avibactam versus comparators were evaluated against 1,440 clinical isolates obtained in a phase 3 clinical trial in patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01499290). Overall, in vitro activities were determined for 803 Enterobacteriaceae, 70 P. aeruginosa, 304 Gram-positive aerobic, and 255 anaerobic isolates obtained from 1,066 randomized patients at baseline. Susceptibility was determined by broth microdilution. The most commonly isolated Gram-negative, Gram-positive, and anaerobic pathogens were Escherichia coli (n = 549), Streptococcus anginosus (n = 130), and Bacteroides fragilis (n = 96), respectively. Ceftazidime-avibactam was highly active against isolates of Enterobacteriaceae, with an overall MIC90 of 0.25 mg/liter. In contrast, the MIC90 for ceftazidime alone was 32 mg/liter. The MIC90 value for ceftazidime-avibactam (4 mg/liter) was one dilution lower than that of ceftazidime alone (8 mg/liter) against isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The ceftazidime-avibactam MIC90 for 109 ceftazidime-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae isolates was 2 mg/liter, and the MIC range for 6 ceftazidime-nonsusceptible P. aeruginosa isolates was 8 to 32 mg/liter. The MIC90 values were within the range of susceptibility for the study drugs permitted per the protocol in the phase 3 study to provide coverage for aerobic Gram-positive and anaerobic pathogens. These findings demonstrate the in vitro activity of ceftazidime-avibactam against bacterial pathogens commonly observed in cIAI patients, including ceftazidime-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT01499290.)


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan M. Pericàs ◽  
Ruvandhi Nathavitharana ◽  
Cristina Garcia-de-la-Mària ◽  
Carles Falces ◽  
Juan Ambrosioni ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Optimal treatment options remain unknown for infective endocarditis (IE) caused by penicillin-resistant (PEN-R) viridans group streptococcal (VGS) strains. The aims of this study were to report two cases of highly PEN-R VGS IE, perform a literature review, and evaluate various antibiotic combinations in vitro and in vivo. The following combinations were tested by time-kill studies and in the rabbit experimental endocarditis (EE) model: PEN-gentamicin, ceftriaxone-gentamicin, vancomycin-gentamicin, daptomycin-gentamicin, and daptomycin-ampicillin. Case 1 was caused by Streptococcus parasanguinis (PEN MIC, 4 μg/ml) and was treated with vancomycin plus cardiac surgery. Case 2 was caused by Streptococcus mitis (PEN MIC, 8 μg/ml) and was treated with 4 weeks of vancomycin plus gentamicin, followed by 2 weeks of vancomycin alone. Both patients were alive and relapse-free after ≥6 months follow-up. For the in vitro studies, except for daptomycin-ampicillin, all combinations demonstrated both synergy and bactericidal activity against the S. parasanguinis isolate. Only PEN-gentamicin, daptomycin-gentamicin, and daptomycin-ampicillin demonstrated both synergy and bactericidal activity against the S. mitis strain. Both strains developed high-level daptomycin resistance (HLDR) during daptomycin in vitro passage. In the EE studies, PEN alone failed to clear S. mitis from vegetations, while ceftriaxone and vancomycin were significantly more effective (P < 0.001). The combination of gentamicin with PEN or vancomycin increased bacterial eradication compared to that with the respective monotherapies. In summary, two patients with highly PEN-R VGS IE were cured using vancomycin-based therapy. In vivo, regimens of gentamicin plus either β-lactams or vancomycin were more active than their respective monotherapies. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm the role of vancomycin-based regimens for highly PEN-R VGS IE. The emergence of HLDR among these strains warrants caution in the use of daptomycin therapy for VGS IE.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 6774-6779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seongman Bae ◽  
Min-Chul Kim ◽  
Su-Jin Park ◽  
Hee Sueng Kim ◽  
Heungsup Sung ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEmerging resistance to colistin in clinicalAcinetobacter baumanniiisolates is of growing concern. Since current treatment options for these strains are extremely limited, we investigated thein vitroactivities of various antimicrobial combinations against colistin-resistantA. baumannii. Nine clinical isolates (8 from bacteremia cases and 1 from a pneumonia case) of colistin-resistantA. baumanniiwere collected in Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea, between January 2010 and December 2012. To screen for potential synergistic effects, multiple combinations of two antimicrobials among 12 commercially available agents were tested using the multiple-combination bactericidal test (MCBT). Checkerboard tests were performed to validate these results. Among the 9 colistin-resistant strains, 6 were pandrug resistant and 3 were extensively drug resistant. With MCBT, the most effective combinations were colistin-rifampin and colistin-teicoplanin; both combinations showed synergistic effect against 8 of 9 strains. Colistin-aztreonam, colistin-meropenem, and colistin-vancomycin combinations showed synergy against seven strains. Colistin was the most common constituent of antimicrobial combinations that were active against colistin-resistantA. baumannii. Checkerboard tests were then conducted in colistin-based combinations. Notably, colistin-rifampin showed synergism against all nine strains (100%). Both colistin-vancomycin and colistin-teicoplanin showed either synergy or partial synergy. Colistin combined with another β-lactam agent (aztreonam, ceftazidime, or meropenem) showed a relatively moderate effect. Colistin combined with ampicillin-sulbactam, tigecycline, amikacin, azithromycin, or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole demonstrated limited synergism. Using MCBT and checkerboard tests, we found that only colistin-based combinations, particularly those with rifampin, glycopeptides, or β-lactams, may confer therapeutic benefits against colistin-resistantA. baumannii.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document