A penicillin-binding protein inhibits selection of colistin-resistant, lipooligosaccharide-deficient Acinetobacter baumannii

Abstract

Antimicrobial drug resistance is a major threat to public health. Gram-negative bacteria are exceptionally resistant to antibiotics because of their outer-membrane barrier. Glycolipids called lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or lipooligosaccharide (LOS) fortify the outer membrane from many antimicrobials and biocides and were thought to be essential for Gram-negative bacterial survival. The last-resort treatment for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections is colistin, which targets the lipid A domain of LPS/LOS to disrupt the membrane, but the emerging pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii can develop colistin resistance by inactivating lipid A biosynthesis. This analysis advances our understanding of lipid A/LOS essentiality in A. baumannii and identifies antimicrobial targets.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Sep 28, 2016
Source ID
10.1073/pnas.1611594113

Entities

People

  • Alexander A. Crofts
  • Bryan W Davies
  • Joseph M. Boll
  • Katharina Peters
  • M Stephen Trent
  • Vincent Cattoir
  • Waldemar Vollmer

Organizations

  • Army Research Office
  • Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences
  • Newcastle University
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Texas at Austin
  • Wellcome Trust

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Microbial Pathology
  • Military/Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technology
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry