title: [Evaluation of selected properties of morphological variants of Acinetobacter baumannii complex].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ability of growth of Acinetobacter baumannii as morphology colony variants have been observed. However, the importance of this phenomenon for its biology is not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate some properties of light and dark morphology colony variants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty two isolates were identified by MALDI TOF MS method (MALDI Biotyper, BRUKER). It was evaluated the adhesion to polystyrene and extracellular mucus production of morphology colony variants and its susceptibility to imipenem and meropenem by agar dilution method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty eight (92.3%) out of the 52 morphotypes Acinetobacter sp. were identified as A. baumannii, two (5.8%) as A. genomospecies 3, one as the A. calcoaceticus. Sixteen (61.0%) pairs of isolates showed differences in the similarity of the spectra to the spectra of reference strains in the MALDI-TOF MS method. Adhesion to polystyrene was observed in all dark and 92.3% light morphotypes. Extracellular slime was produced by 15 (57.7%) dark morphotypes, and 7 (26.9%) of clear. The differences in susceptibility to imipenem occurred in two (7.7%), and meropenem in three (11.5%) pairs of morphotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show diversity of biological properties of morphology colony variants of A. baumannii complex. Differences in the level of adhesion to polystyrene and slime production may indicate the importance of morphological differentiation in virulence of A. baumannii complex.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Zakład Mikrobiologii, Collegium Medicum im. Ludwika Rydygiera w Bydgoszczy, Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jachna-Sawicka
authors.forename: Wioleta
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wójcik
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gospodarek
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D015378:Imipenem / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077731:Meropenem; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013045:Species Specificity; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013845:Thienamycins; D015378:Imipenem; D000077731:Meropenem