Genomic analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii prophages reveals remarkable diversity and suggests profound impact on bacterial virulence and fitness

Abstract

The recent nomination by the World Health Organization of Acinetobacter baumannii as the number one priority pathogen for the development of new antibiotics is a direct consequence of its fast evolution of pathogenicity and multidrug resistance. While the development of new antibiotics is critical, understanding the mechanisms behind the crescent bacterial pathogenicity is equally relevant. Often, resistance and other virulence elements are contained on highly mobile pieces of DNA that can easily spread to other bacteria. Prophages are one of the mediators of this form of gene transfer, and have been frequently found in bacterial genomes, often offering advantageous features to the host. Here we question the contribution of prophages for the evolution of A. baumannii pathogenicity. [...]