Quorum Sensing as a Target for Controlling Surface Associated Motility and Biofilm Formation in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC® 17978TM. 2020

Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Facultade de Bioloxía, Edificio CIBUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

The important nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii presents a quorum sensing (QS) system (abaI/abaR) mediated by acyl-homoserine-lactones (AHLs) and several quorum quenching (QQ) enzymes. However, the roles of this complex network in the control of the expression of important virulence-related phenotypes such as surface-associated motility and biofilm formation is not clear. Therefore, the effect of the mutation of the AHL synthase AbaI, and the exogenous addition of the QQ enzyme Aii20J on surface-associated motility and biofilm formation by A. baumannii ATCC® 17978TM was studied in detail. The effect of the enzyme on biofilm formation by several multidrug-resistant A. baumannii clinical isolates differing in their motility pattern was also tested. We provide evidence that a functional QS system is required for surface-associated motility and robust biofilm formation in A. baumannii ATCC® 17978TM. Important differences were found with the well-studied strain A. nosocomialis M2 regarding the relevance of the QS system depending on environmental conditions The in vitro biofilm-formation capacity of A. baumannii clinical strains was highly variable and was not related to the antibiotic resistance or surface-associated motility profiles. A high variability was also found in the sensitivity of the clinical strains to the action of the QQ enzyme, revealing important differences in virulence regulation between A. baumannii isolates and confirming that studies restricted to a single strain are not representative for the development of novel antimicrobial strategies. Extracellular DNA emerges as a key component of the extracellular matrix in A. baumannii biofilms since the combined action of the QQ enzyme Aii20J and DNase reduced biofilm formation in all tested strains. Results demonstrate that QQ strategies in combination with other enzymatic treatments such as DNase could represent an alternative approach for the prevention of A. baumannii colonization and survival on surfaces and the prevention and treatment of infections caused by this pathogen.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries

Related Publications

Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
March 2021, Journal of bacteriology,
Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
January 2023, Infection and drug resistance,
Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
January 2018, International journal of molecular sciences,
Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
March 2023, Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland),
Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
November 2020, Microbial pathogenesis,
Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
March 2014, BMC microbiology,
Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
February 2020, Scientific reports,
Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
January 2020, Journal of applied microbiology,
Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
April 2013, Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy,
Celia Mayer, and Andrea Muras, and Ana Parga, and Manuel Romero, and Soraya Rumbo-Feal, and Margarita Poza, and José Ramos-Vivas, and Ana Otero
April 2014, The new microbiologica,
Copied contents to your clipboard!