Incubation temperature, osmolarity, and salicylate affect the expression of resistance-nodulation-division efflux pumps and outer membrane porins in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC19606T

In this study, we examined the impact of various environmental conditions on the expression of resistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux pumps and outer membrane (OM) porins, two key determinants of Acinetobacter baumannii's intrinsic resistance, an organism known to cause various multidrug resistant infections in immunocompromised individuals. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of adeB, adeG, and adeJ (genes encoding RND pumps) and 33 kDa, carO, and oprD (genes encoding OM porins) of A. baumannii ATCC19606(T) under different incubation temperatures (30, 37, and 42 degrees C) and in the presence of high osmolarity and salicylate. Downregulation of all three RND pumps was observed at 30 degrees C, while downregulation of all three porins tested was observed at increased osmolarity. Downregulation of RND efflux pumps, particularly AdeABC, was consistent with increased susceptibility to antibiotics that are substrates of this pump. Expression of the adeR response regulator gene of the AdeRS system, the activator of the AdeABC pump, was also analyzed. Our work shows that various environmental stress conditions can influence the expression of RND pumps and porins in A. baumannii ATCC19606(T) and thus may play a role in the modulation of its antibiotic resistance.