Identification of Ata, a multifunctional trimeric autotransporter of Acinetobacter baumannii

J Bacteriol. 2012 Aug;194(15):3950-60. doi: 10.1128/JB.06769-11. Epub 2012 May 18.

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii has recently emerged as a highly troublesome nosocomial pathogen, especially in patients in intensive care units and in those undergoing mechanical ventilation. We have identified a surface protein adhesin of A. baumannii, designated the Acinetobacter trimeric autotransporter (Ata), that contains all of the typical features of trimeric autotransporters (TA), including a long signal peptide followed by an N-terminal, surface-exposed passenger domain and a C-terminal domain encoding 4 β-strands. To demonstrate that Ata encoded a TA, we created a fusion protein in which we replaced the entire passenger domain of Ata with the epitope tag V5, which can be tracked with specific monoclonal antibodies, and demonstrated that the C-terminal 101 amino acids of Ata were capable of exporting the heterologous V5 tag to the surface of A. baumannii in a trimeric form. We found that Ata played a role in biofilm formation and bound to various extracellular matrix/basal membrane (ECM/BM) components, including collagen types I, III, IV, and V and laminin. Moreover, Ata mediated the adhesion of whole A. baumannii cells to immobilized collagen type IV and played a role in the survival of A. baumannii in a lethal model of systemic infection in immunocompetent mice. Taken together, these results reveal that Ata is a TA of A. baumannii involved in virulence, including biofilm formation, binding to ECM/BM proteins, mediating the adhesion of A. baumannii cells to collagen type IV, and contributing to the survival of A. baumannii in a mouse model of lethal infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Acinetobacter Infections
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / genetics*
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / metabolism*
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / physiology
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / genetics
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Adhesion
  • Biofilms / growth & development
  • Collagen / metabolism
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Multimerization*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Survival Analysis
  • Virulence
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Adhesins, Bacterial
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Virulence Factors
  • Collagen

Associated data

  • GENBANK/CP000521