Identification of osmo-dependent and osmo-independent betaine-choline-carnitine transporters in Acinetobacter baumannii: role in osmostress protection and metabolic adaptation

  • Acinetobacter baumannii is outstanding for its ability to cope with low water activities and therefore its adaptation mechanism to osmotic stress. Here we report on the identification and characterization of five different secondary active compatible solute transporters, belonging to the betaine-choline-carnitine transporter (BCCT) family. Our studies revealed two choline-specific and three glycine betaine-specific BCCTs. Activity of the BCCTs was differentially dependent to the osmolality: one choline and one betaine transporter were osmostress-independent. Addition of choline to resting cells of Acinetobacter grown in the presence of the co-substrate choline or with phosphatidylcholine as sole carbon source led to ATP synthesis in the wild type but not in the BCCT quadruple mutant. This indicates that the BCCTs are essential to transport the energy substrate choline. The role of the different BCCTs in osmostress resistance and in metabolic adaptation of A. baumannii to the human host is discussed.

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Author:Jennifer Maria BreischGND, Beate AverhoffORCiD
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-638297
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.14998
ISSN:1462-2920
Parent Title (English):Environmental microbiology
Publisher:Blackwell
Place of publication:Oxford [u.a.]
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2020/03/26
Date of first Publication:2020/03/26
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2022/03/08
Volume:22
Issue:7
Page Number:12
First Page:2724
Last Page:2735
Note:
This work was funded by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through DFG Research Unit FOR 2251.
HeBIS-PPN:49370759X
Institutes:Biowissenschaften
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 4.0