TY - JOUR
T1 - Differential development of antibiotic resistance and virulence between Acinetobacter species
AU - Darby, Elizabeth M.
AU - Moran, Robert A.
AU - Holden, Emma
AU - Morris, Theresa
AU - Harrison, Freya
AU - Clough, Barbara
AU - McInnes, Ross S.
AU - Schneider, Ludwig
AU - Frickel, Eva M.
AU - Webber, Mark A.
AU - Blair, Jessica M. A.
N1 - Data Availability Statement: Whole-genome sequences were either publicly available and downloaded from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) or obtained from strains sequenced in this study. Raw reads generated from this work can be found on NCBI under project accession number PRJNA918592.
Funding Information: E.M.D. is funded by the Wellcome Trust (222386/Z/21/Z).
PY - 2024/5/29
Y1 - 2024/5/29
N2 - The two species that account for most cases of Acinetobacter-associated bacteremia in the United Kingdom are Acinetobacter lwoffii, often a commensal but also an emerging pathogen, and Acinetobacter baumannii, a well-known antibiotic-resistant species. While these species both cause similar types of human infection and occupy the same niche, A. lwoffii (unlike A. baumannii) has thus far remained susceptible to antibiotics. Comparatively little is known about the biology of A. lwoffii, and this is the largest study on it conducted to date, providing valuable insights into its behaviour and potential threat to human health. This study aimed to explain the antibiotic susceptibility, virulence, and fundamental biological differences between these two species. The relative susceptibility of A. lwoffii was explained as it encoded fewer antibiotic resistance and efflux pump genes than A. baumannii (9 and 30, respectively). While both species had markers of horizontal gene transfer, A. lwoffii encoded more DNA defense systems and harbored a far more restricted range of plasmids. Furthermore, A. lwoffii displayed a reduced ability to select for antibiotic resistance mutations, form biofilm, and infect both in vivo and in in vitro models of infection. This study suggests that the emerging pathogen A. lwoffii has remained susceptible to antibiotics because mechanisms exist to make it highly selective about the DNA it acquires, and we hypothesize that the fact that it only harbors a single RND system restricts the ability to select for resistance mutations. This provides valuable insights into how development of resistance can be constrained in Gram-negative bacteria. IMPORTANCE Acinetobacter lwoffii is often a harmless commensal but is also an emerging pathogen and is the most common cause of Acinetobacter-derived bloodstream infections in England and Wales. In contrast to the well-studied and often highly drug-resistant A. baumannii, A. lwoffii has remained susceptible to antibiotics. This study explains why this organism has not evolved resistance to antibiotics. These new insights are important to understand why and how some species develop antibiotic resistance, while others do not, and could inform future novel treatment strategies.
AB - The two species that account for most cases of Acinetobacter-associated bacteremia in the United Kingdom are Acinetobacter lwoffii, often a commensal but also an emerging pathogen, and Acinetobacter baumannii, a well-known antibiotic-resistant species. While these species both cause similar types of human infection and occupy the same niche, A. lwoffii (unlike A. baumannii) has thus far remained susceptible to antibiotics. Comparatively little is known about the biology of A. lwoffii, and this is the largest study on it conducted to date, providing valuable insights into its behaviour and potential threat to human health. This study aimed to explain the antibiotic susceptibility, virulence, and fundamental biological differences between these two species. The relative susceptibility of A. lwoffii was explained as it encoded fewer antibiotic resistance and efflux pump genes than A. baumannii (9 and 30, respectively). While both species had markers of horizontal gene transfer, A. lwoffii encoded more DNA defense systems and harbored a far more restricted range of plasmids. Furthermore, A. lwoffii displayed a reduced ability to select for antibiotic resistance mutations, form biofilm, and infect both in vivo and in in vitro models of infection. This study suggests that the emerging pathogen A. lwoffii has remained susceptible to antibiotics because mechanisms exist to make it highly selective about the DNA it acquires, and we hypothesize that the fact that it only harbors a single RND system restricts the ability to select for resistance mutations. This provides valuable insights into how development of resistance can be constrained in Gram-negative bacteria. IMPORTANCE Acinetobacter lwoffii is often a harmless commensal but is also an emerging pathogen and is the most common cause of Acinetobacter-derived bloodstream infections in England and Wales. In contrast to the well-studied and often highly drug-resistant A. baumannii, A. lwoffii has remained susceptible to antibiotics. This study explains why this organism has not evolved resistance to antibiotics. These new insights are important to understand why and how some species develop antibiotic resistance, while others do not, and could inform future novel treatment strategies.
KW - antibiotic resistance
KW - drug-resistance evolution
KW - efflux pumps
KW - Gram-negative bacteria
KW - virulence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85194971714&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/msphere.00109-24
DO - 10.1128/msphere.00109-24
M3 - Article
C2 - 38578105
AN - SCOPUS:85194971714
VL - 9
JO - mSphere
JF - mSphere
SN - 2379-5042
IS - 5
M1 - e00109-24
ER -