Comparison of the Acinetobacter baumannii Reference Strains ATCC 17978 and ATCC 19606 in Antimicrobial Resistance Mediated by the AdeABC Efflux Pump

The Acinetobacter baumannii RND efflux pump AdeABC is regulated by the 2-component regulator AdeRS. In this study, we compared the regulation and expression of AdeABC of the reference strains ATCC 17978 and ATCC 19606. A clearly stronger efflux activity was demonstrated for ATCC 19606. An amino acid substitution at residue 172 of adeS was identified as a potential cause for differential expression of the pump. Therefore, we recommend caution with exclusively using single reference strains for research.

Automated summary

In this study, the regulatory and expression patterns of AdeABC in reference strains ATCC 17978 and ATCC 19606 were compared, with ATCC 19606 demonstrating significantly stronger efflux activity. An amino acid substitution at residue 172 of adeS was identified as a potential cause for the differential expression of the pump. Therefore, caution is recommended when relying solely on single reference strains for research purposes.