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Acinetobacter baumannii  is an emergent and global nosocomial pathogen. In addition to  A. baumannii , other  Acinetobacter  species, especially those in the  Acinetobacter calcoaceticus - baumannii  ( Acb ) complex, have also been associated with serious human infection. Although mechanisms of attachment, persistence on abiotic surfaces, and pathogenesis in  A. baumannii  have been identified, the genetic mechanisms that explain the emergence of  A. baumannii  as the most widespread and virulent  Acinetobacter  species are not fully understood. Recent whole genome sequencing has provided insight into the phylogenetic structure of the genus  Acinetobacter . However, a global comparison of genomic features between  Acinetobacter  spp. has not been described in the literature. In this study, 136  Acinetobacter  genomes, including 67 sequenced in this study, were compared to identify the acquisition and loss of genes in the expansion of the  Acinetobacter  genus. A whole genome phylogeny confirmed that  A. baumannii  is a monophyletic clade and that the larger  Acb  complex is also a well-supported monophyletic group. The whole genome phylogeny provided the framework for a global genomic comparison based on a blast score ratio (BSR) analysis. The BSR analysis demonstrated that specific genes have been both lost and acquired in the evolution of  A. baumannii . In addition, several genes associated with  A. baumannii  pathogenesis were found to be more conserved in the  Acb  complex, and especially in  A. baumannii , than in other  Acinetobacter  genomes; until recently, a global analysis of the distribution and conservation of virulence factors across the genus was not possible. The results demonstrate that the acquisition of specific virulence factors has likely contributed to the widespread persistence and virulence of  A. baumannii . The identification of novel features associated with transcriptional regulation and acquired by clades in the  Acb  complex presents targets for better understanding the evolution of pathogenesis and virulence in the expansion of the genus.

Evolution of a Pathogen: A Comparative Genomics Analysis Identifies a Genetic Pathway to Pathogenesis in Acinetobacter