Acinetobacter baumannii

From MicrobeWiki, the student-edited microbiology resource

A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Acinetobacter baumannii

Classification

Higher order taxa

Bacteria; Proteobacteria; Gammaproteobacteria; Pseudomonadales; Moraxellaceae; Acinetobacter

Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Acinetobacter baumannii

Description and significance

Acinetobacter baumannii is an aerobic gram-negative bacteria found in water and soil. However, recently the organism has been a major concern in hospitals because of its acquisition of multi-drug resistant genes which has resulted in nosocomial infections. A. baumannii is often found in organs that have a high liquid content such as the respiratory tract, cerebral spinal fluid, and urinary tract which leads to nosocomial pneumonia.


Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why it is important enough to have its genome sequenced. Describe how and where it was isolated. Include a picture or two (with sources) if you can find them.

Genome structure

The organism contains circular DNA with 3439 genes, of which 71% is used for coding and 3352 are used in protein coding. A. baumannii contains two plasmids: pAB1 and pAB. One strain of Acinetobacter baumannii called AYE contains an 86kb genomic resistance island, which is the largest found to date. The genomic island also has 45 resistance gene clusters. The amino acid sequence of the genomic island of AYE is similar to other organisms, specifically Pseudomonas , Salmonella, and Escherichia. Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence? Does it have any plasmids? Are they important to the organism's lifestyle?

Cell structure and metabolism

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Ecology

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Pathology

How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

Application to Biotechnology

Does this organism produce any useful compounds or enzymes? What are they and how are they used?

Current Research

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References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Edited by student of Rachel Larsen and Kit Pogliano