Identification of Ata, a multifunctional trimeric autotransporter of Acinetobacter baumannii.

ABSTRACT: Acinetobacter baumannii has recently emerged as a highly troublesome nosocomial pathogen, especially in patients in intensive care units and in those undergoing mechanical ventilation. We have identified a surface protein adhesin of A. baumannii, designated the Acinetobacter trimeric autotransporter (Ata), that contains all of the typical features of trimeric autotransporters (TA), including a long signal peptide followed by an N-terminal, surface-exposed passenger domain and a C-terminal domain encoding 4 β-strands. To demonstrate that Ata encoded a TA, we created a fusion protein in which we replaced the entire passenger domain of Ata with the epitope tag V5, which can be tracked with specific monoclonal antibodies, and demonstrated that the C-terminal 101 amino acids of Ata were capable

SUBMITTER: Bentancor LV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3416510 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature