Targeting virulence regulation to disarm Acinetobacter baumannii pathogenesis

The development of anti-virulence drug therapy against Acinetobacter baumannii infections would provide an alternative to traditional antibacterial therapy that are increasingly failing. Here, we demonstrate that the OmpR transcriptional regulator plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of diverse A. baumannii clinical strains in multiple murine and G. mellonella invertebrate infection models. We identified OmpR-regulated genes using RNA sequencing and further validated two genes whose expression can be used as robust biomarker to quantify OmpR inhibition in A. baumannii. Moreover, the determination of the structure of the OmpR DNA binding domain of A. baumannii and the development of in vitro protein-DNA binding assays enabled the identification of an OmpR small molecule inhibitor. We conclude that OmpR is a valid and unexplored target to fight A. baumannii infections and we believe that the described platform combining in silico methods, in vitro OmpR inhibitory assays and in vivo G. mellonella surrogate infection model will facilitate future drug discovery programs.

Automated summary

The development of anti-virulence drug therapy against Acinetobacter baumannii infections is an alternative to traditional antibacterial therapy. The OmpR transcriptional regulator plays a key role in the pathogenesis of A. baumannii, and two genes have been identified as biomarkers for quantifying OmpR inhibition. The structure of OmpR DNA binding domain has been determined and a small molecule inhibitor has been identified. This study suggests OmpR as a valid and unexplored target for fighting A. baumannii infections, and provides a platform for future drug discovery programs combining in silico methods, in vitro OmpR inhibitory assays, and in vivo G. mellonella surrogate infection model.