# Identifying host human products responsible for natural transformation of resistance traits in Acinetobacter baumannii

> **NIH NIH SC3** · CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY FULLERTON · 2020 · $106,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
In recent years, a massive increase in the rates of antibiotic resistant bacteria has been observed in clinical
settings, causing significant concern from both the scientific community and government agencies. Among the
pathogens causing these alarming infections is Acinetobacter baumannii, a microorganism that has developed
resistance to almost all available antibiotics. Its extreme genome plasticity, largely facilitated by horizontal
genetic transfer (HGT) processes, has contributed to its remarkable antibiotic-resistance phenotype.
Transformation seems to be a particularly important HGT mechanism in this bacterium. However, the
environmental signals triggering competence for natural transformation, the putative effectors involved in this
process, and the molecular basis of this phenomenon are still poorly understood. Using the A. baumannii A118
clinical isolate as a model, the proposed project will examine the role of human host products as chemical
inducers of DNA uptake. Considering our preliminary data, which show that different albumins cause a
significant increase in the level of transformation frequency, this study will examine the role of Human Serum
Albumin (HSA) and albumin-derived peptides in the development of bacterial competence and the uptake of
foreign DNA (Aim 1). Moreover, we will determine the effects of HSA using a whole-genome transcriptional
profiling approach in A118 (Aim 2). Through this last approach, we expect to identify genes and RNA
regulators involved in natural transformation. This knowledge will provide critical insights into the molecular and
cellular mechanism this pathogen uses to acquire resistance genes. Future studies can then use these findings
to develop novel approaches to treat severe Acinetobacter human infections, particularly those caused by
emerging multidrug-resistant isolates.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9856498
- **Project number:** 5SC3GM125556-03
- **Recipient organization:** CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY FULLERTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Maria Soledad Ramirez
- **Activity code:** SC3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $106,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-02-07 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9856498

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9856498, Identifying host human products responsible for natural transformation of resistance traits in Acinetobacter baumannii (5SC3GM125556-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9856498. Licensed CC0.

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