The complete genome and phenome of a community-acquired Acinetobacter baumannii

PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e58628. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058628. Epub 2013 Mar 19.

Abstract

Many sequenced strains of Acinetobacter baumannii are established nosocomial pathogens capable of resistance to multiple antimicrobials. Community-acquired A. baumannii in contrast, comprise a minor proportion of all A. baumannii infections and are highly susceptible to antimicrobial treatment. However, these infections also present acute clinical manifestations associated with high reported rates of mortality. We report the complete 3.70 Mbp genome of A. baumannii D1279779, previously isolated from the bacteraemic infection of an Indigenous Australian; this strain represents the first community-acquired A. baumannii to be sequenced. Comparative analysis of currently published A. baumannii genomes identified twenty-four accessory gene clusters present in D1279779. These accessory elements were predicted to encode a range of functions including polysaccharide biosynthesis, type I DNA restriction-modification, and the metabolism of novel carbonaceous and nitrogenous compounds. Conversely, twenty genomic regions present in previously sequenced A. baumannii strains were absent in D1279779, including gene clusters involved in the catabolism of 4-hydroxybenzoate and glucarate, and the A. baumannii antibiotic resistance island, known to bestow resistance to multiple antimicrobials in nosocomial strains. Phenomic analysis utilising the Biolog Phenotype Microarray system indicated that A. baumannii D1279779 can utilise a broader range of carbon and nitrogen sources than international clone I and clone II nosocomial isolates. However, D1279779 was more sensitive to antimicrobial compounds, particularly beta-lactams, tetracyclines and sulphonamides. The combined genomic and phenomic analyses have provided insight into the features distinguishing A. baumannii isolated from community-acquired and nosocomial infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acinetobacter Infections / drug therapy
  • Acinetobacter Infections / microbiology*
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / drug effects
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / genetics*
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / isolation & purification
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Community-Acquired Infections / drug therapy
  • Community-Acquired Infections / microbiology
  • DNA Transposable Elements / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics
  • Genome, Bacterial*
  • Humans
  • Multigene Family
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Pyloric Antrum

Substances

  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • DNA, Bacterial

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Grant No. 535053 awarded to MHB and ITP, and by Macquarie University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.