posted on 2021-06-08, 14:41authored byFelise
G. Adams, Alaska Pokhrel, Erin B. Brazel, Lucie Semenec, Liping Li, Claudia Trappetti, James C. Paton, Amy K. Cain, Ian T. Paulsen, Bart A. Eijkelkamp
Maintaining optimal fluidity is essential
to ensure adequate membrane
structure and function under different environmental conditions. We
apply integrated molecular approaches to characterize two desaturases
(DesA and DesB) and define their specific roles in unsaturated fatty
acid (UFA) production in Acinetobacter baumannii.
Using a murine model, we reveal DesA to play a minor role in colonization
of the respiratory tract, whereas DesB is important during invasive
disease. Furthermore, using transcriptomic and bioinformatic analyses,
a global regulator involved in fatty acid homeostasis and members
of its regulon are characterized. Collectively, we show that DesA
and DesB are primary contributors to UFA production in A. baumannii with infection studies illustrating that these distinct desaturases
aid in the bacterium’s ability to survive in multiple host
niches. Hence, this study provides novel insights into the fundamentals
of A. baumannii lipid biology, which contributes
to the versatility of this critical bacterial pathogen.