Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Response to Desiccation Stress and Persistence in Acinetobacter baumannii

• DOI: 10.1021/pr400603f
• Publication Date: 2013-12-04T11:37:35Z
• Authors: Carmen M. Gayoso; Jesús Mateos; José A. Méndez; Patricia Fernánde...; Carlos Rumbo; María Tomás; Óskar Martínez de...; Germán Bou
• Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii; Desiccation Tolerance

Desiccation tolerance contributes to the maintenance of bacterial populations in hospital settings and may partly explain its propensity cause outbreaks. Identification relative quantitation proteins involved desiccation was made using label-free iTRAQ labeling. Under desiccating conditions, population Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strain AbH12O-A2 decreased first week, thereafter, a stable 0.5% original maintained. Using labeling, 727 765 proteins, respectively, were detected; 584 them by both methods. Proteins overexpressed under included membrane periplasmic proteins. associated with antimicrobial resistance, efflux pumps, quorum quenching samples subjected stress. Electron microscopy revealed clear morphological differences between desiccated control bacteria. We conclude that A. is able survive long periods through presence cells dormant state, via mechanisms affecting cell cycling, DNA coiling, transcriptional translational regulation, protein stabilization, toxin synthesis, few surviving embedded biofilm matrix are resume growth restore appropriate environmental conditions following "bust-and-boom" strategy.