The lytic transglycosylase MltB connects membrane homeostasis and in vivo fitness of Acinetobacter baumannii.

ABSTRACT: Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a leading nosocomial pathogen, infecting a wide range of anatomic sites including the respiratory tract and the bloodstream. In addition to being multi-drug resistant, little is known about the molecular basis of A. baumannii pathogenesis. To better understand A. baumannii virulence, a combination of a transposon-sequencing (TraDIS) screen and the neutropenic mouse model of bacteremia was used to identify the full set of fitness genes required during bloodstream infection. The lytic transglycosylase MltB was identified as a critical fitness factor. MltB cleaves the MurNAc-GlcNAc bond of peptidoglycan, which leads to cell wall remodeling. Here we show that MltB is part of a complex network connecting resistance to stresses, membrane homeostasis, biogen

SUBMITTER: Crepin S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6185781 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature