H-NS plays a role in expression of Acinetobacter baumannii virulence features.

ABSTRACT: Acinetobacter baumannii has become a major problem in the clinical setting with the prevalence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant strains on the increase. Nevertheless, only a limited number of molecular mechanisms involved in the success of A. baumannii as a human pathogen have been described. In this study, we examined the virulence features of a hypermotile derivative of A. baumannii strain ATCC 17978, which was found to display enhanced adherence to human pneumocytes and elevated levels of lethality toward Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes. Analysis of cellular lipids revealed modifications to the fatty acid composition, providing a possible explanation for the observed changes in hydrophobicity and subsequent alteration in adherence and motility. Comparison of the genome seque

SUBMITTER: Eijkelkamp BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3697591 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature