Journal article
Colistin resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii is mediated by complete loss of lipopolysaccharide production
JH Moffatt, M Harper, P Harrison, JDF Hale, E Vinogradov, T Seemann, R Henry, B Crane, F St. Michael, AD Cox, B Adler, RL Nation, J Li, JD Boyce
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy | Published : 2010
DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00834-10
Abstract
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria represent a major global health problem. Polymyxin antibiotics such as colistin have resurfaced as effective last-resort antimicrobials for use against MDR Gram-negative pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumannii. Here we show that A. baumannii can rapidly develop resistance to polymyxin antibiotics by complete loss of the initial binding target, the lipid A component of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which has long been considered to be essential for the viability of Gram-negative bacteria. We characterized 13 independent colistin-resistant derivatives of A. baumannii type strain ATCC 19606 and showed that all contained muta..
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Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council project grant. J.H.M. is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship. J.L. is an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council R. Douglas Wright Research Fellow.