title: Genome-assisted identification of putative iron-utilization genes in Acinetobacter baumannii and their distribution among a genotypically diverse collection of clinical isolates.
abstract: New putative iron-uptake genes were identified in published genomes of the opportunistic human pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii, and their occurrence was determined in a genotypically distinct collection of 50 clinical isolates by PCR and Southern blot assays. The results demonstrated that all A. baumannii isolates tested share the coding potential for two endogenous siderophores, a heme-acquisition and a ferrous iron-uptake system. A second heme-uptake cluster was detected in almost two thirds of isolates, without any apparent correlation with the clonal lineage of the strains. The wide distribution of multiple iron-acquisition systems among diverse A. baumannii clinical isolates argues for a contribution of iron uptake to the pathogenicity of this species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Roma, Italy. lantunes@uniroma3.it
authors.forename: Luísa C S
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Imperi
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Towner
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Visca
mesh_terms: D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D019295:Computational Biology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D023061:Gene Order; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017262:Siderophores / Q000235:genetics; D026801:Synteny
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D017262:Siderophores; D007501:Iron