Regulation of antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis in Acinetobacter baumannii by glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways

Abstract Background Metabolite production is essential for the proliferation and environmental adaptation of all living organisms. In pathogenic bacteria, metabolite exchange during host infection can regulate their physiology and virulence. However, there is still much unknown about which specific...

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Main Authors: Ho Seok Sim, Yong-Kook Kwon, Hokyung Song, Geum-Sook Hwang, Jinki Yeom
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:BMC Microbiology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-024-03654-1
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author Ho Seok Sim
Yong-Kook Kwon
Hokyung Song
Geum-Sook Hwang
Jinki Yeom
author_facet Ho Seok Sim
Yong-Kook Kwon
Hokyung Song
Geum-Sook Hwang
Jinki Yeom
author_sort Ho Seok Sim
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Metabolite production is essential for the proliferation and environmental adaptation of all living organisms. In pathogenic bacteria, metabolite exchange during host infection can regulate their physiology and virulence. However, there is still much unknown about which specific metabolic pathways in pathogenic bacteria respond to changes in the environment during infections. This study examines how pathogenic bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii uses particular metabolic pathways to regulate its ability to antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis. Results To determine specific metabolic pathways in pathogenic antibiotic resistance bacteria, metabolite profiles of bacteria were constructed using ultraperformance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis. A. baumannii generates amino acid derivative metabolites, which are precursors for fatty acid production. Comparative genomic analysis identified specific genes regulating the production of these metabolites and fatty acids in A. baumannii. Inactivation of genes involved in glutamate metabolism, gdhA, aspB, murI1, and racD, impairs antibiotic persistence, while inactivation of the hisC gene, encoding histidinol − phosphate aminotransferase enzyme in histidine metabolic pathway, increases bacterial survival inside macrophages during infections. Conclusions This study reports that A. baumannii regulates antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis through glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways, respectively. These findings suggest that specific metabolic pathways regulate bacterial pathogenesis and antibiotic persistence during infections, providing potential therapeutic targets for pathogenic bacteria.
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issn 1471-2180
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spelling doaj-art-c3f306233bdd4be4ab6f3e647b40db752025-08-20T02:48:29ZengBMCBMC Microbiology1471-21802025-02-0125111410.1186/s12866-024-03654-1Regulation of antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis in Acinetobacter baumannii by glutamate and histidine metabolic pathwaysHo Seok Sim0Yong-Kook Kwon1Hokyung Song2Geum-Sook Hwang3Jinki Yeom4Department of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, Seoul National UniversityIntegrated Metabolomics Research Group, Western Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science InstituteDepartment of Environmental Engineering, Chosun UniversityIntegrated Metabolomics Research Group, Western Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science InstituteDepartment of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, Seoul National UniversityAbstract Background Metabolite production is essential for the proliferation and environmental adaptation of all living organisms. In pathogenic bacteria, metabolite exchange during host infection can regulate their physiology and virulence. However, there is still much unknown about which specific metabolic pathways in pathogenic bacteria respond to changes in the environment during infections. This study examines how pathogenic bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii uses particular metabolic pathways to regulate its ability to antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis. Results To determine specific metabolic pathways in pathogenic antibiotic resistance bacteria, metabolite profiles of bacteria were constructed using ultraperformance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and multivariate statistical analysis. A. baumannii generates amino acid derivative metabolites, which are precursors for fatty acid production. Comparative genomic analysis identified specific genes regulating the production of these metabolites and fatty acids in A. baumannii. Inactivation of genes involved in glutamate metabolism, gdhA, aspB, murI1, and racD, impairs antibiotic persistence, while inactivation of the hisC gene, encoding histidinol − phosphate aminotransferase enzyme in histidine metabolic pathway, increases bacterial survival inside macrophages during infections. Conclusions This study reports that A. baumannii regulates antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis through glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways, respectively. These findings suggest that specific metabolic pathways regulate bacterial pathogenesis and antibiotic persistence during infections, providing potential therapeutic targets for pathogenic bacteria.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-024-03654-1Acinetobacter baumanniiAntibiotic persistencePathogenesisMetabolomicsMetabolic pathways
spellingShingle Ho Seok Sim
Yong-Kook Kwon
Hokyung Song
Geum-Sook Hwang
Jinki Yeom
Regulation of antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis in Acinetobacter baumannii by glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways
BMC Microbiology
Acinetobacter baumannii
Antibiotic persistence
Pathogenesis
Metabolomics
Metabolic pathways
title Regulation of antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis in Acinetobacter baumannii by glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways
title_full Regulation of antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis in Acinetobacter baumannii by glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways
title_fullStr Regulation of antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis in Acinetobacter baumannii by glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways
title_full_unstemmed Regulation of antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis in Acinetobacter baumannii by glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways
title_short Regulation of antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis in Acinetobacter baumannii by glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways
title_sort regulation of antibiotic persistence and pathogenesis in acinetobacter baumannii by glutamate and histidine metabolic pathways
topic Acinetobacter baumannii
Antibiotic persistence
Pathogenesis
Metabolomics
Metabolic pathways
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-024-03654-1
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