Open AccessInsight into the resistome and quorum sensing system of a divergent Acinetobacter pittii isolate from an untouched site of the Lechuguilla Cave
Author(s) -
Han Ming Gan,
Peter C. Wengert,
Hazel A. Barton,
André O. Hudson,
Michael A. Savka
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
access microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2516-8290
DOI - 10.1099/acmi.0.000089
Subject(s) - acinetobacter , quorum sensing , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genome , cave , homoserine , bacteria , gene , genetics , ecology , biofilm , antibiotics
Acinetobacter are Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the sub-phyla Gammaproteobacteria , commonly associated with soils, animal feeds and water. Some members of the Acinetobacter have been implicated in hospital-acquired infections, with broad-spectrum antibiotic resistance. Here we report the whole-genome sequence of LC510, an Acinetobacter species isolated from deep within a pristine location of the Lechuguilla Cave. Pairwise nucleotide comparison to three type strains within the genus Acinetobacter assigned LC510 as an Acinetobacter pittii isolate. Scanning of the LC510 genome identified two genes coding for b-lactamase resistance, despite the fact that LC510 was isolated from a portion of the cave not previously visited by humans and protected from anthropogenic input. The ability to produce acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signal in culture medium, an observation that is consistent with the identification of the luxI and luxR homologues in its genome, suggests that cell-to-cell communication remains important in an isolated cave ecosystem.