A PmrB-Regulated Deacetylase Required for Lipid A Modification and Polymyxin Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2015 Dec;59(12):7911-4. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00515-15. Epub 2015 Oct 12.

Abstract

Emerging resistance to "last-resort" polymyxin antibiotics in Gram-negative bacteria is a significant threat to public health. We identified the Acinetobacter baumannii NaxD deacetylase as a critical mediator of lipid A modification resulting in polymyxin resistance and demonstrated that naxD is regulated by the sensor kinase PmrB. This represents the first description of a specific PmrB-regulated gene contributing to polymyxin resistance in A. baumannii and highlights NaxD as a putative drug target to reverse polymyxin resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acinetobacter Infections / microbiology
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / drug effects
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / enzymology
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / genetics*
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / isolation & purification
  • Amidohydrolases / genetics*
  • Amidohydrolases / metabolism
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Humans
  • Lipid A / metabolism*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Structure
  • Polymyxin B / pharmacology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Lipid A
  • PmrB protein, bacteria
  • Transcription Factors
  • Amidohydrolases
  • acetylgalactosamine deacetylase
  • Polymyxin B