More than just light: Clinical relevance of light perception in the nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii and other members of the genus Acinetobacter.

RAMÍREZ M.S.; MÜLLER G.L.; JORGELINA PÉREZ; ADRIÁN GOLIC; MUSSI M. A.

PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2015 vol. 91 p. 1291 - 1301

0031-8655

A summary of the major findings concerning light modulationin Acinetobacter baumannii, which governs aspectsrelated to the success of this microorganism as a nosocomialpathogen, is presented. Particularly, the evidence shows thatlight modulates the ability of the bacteria to persist in theenvironment, its virulence against eukaryotic hosts and evensusceptibility to certain antibiotics. The light signal is sensedthrough different mechanisms, in some cases involving specializedphotoreceptors of the BLUF-type, whereas in others,directly by a photosensitizer molecule. We also provide newdata concerning the genomic context of BLUF-domain containingproteins within the genus Acinetobacter, as well asfurther insights into the mechanism of light-mediated reductionin susceptibility to antibiotics. The overall informationpoints toward light being a crucial stimulus in the lifestyle ofmembers of the genus Acinetobacter as well as in other clinicallyrelevant species, such as members of the ESKAPEgroup, playing therefore an important role in the clinicalsettings.