The impact of carbapenemase production among clinically significant Gram-negative rods is becoming a major medical issue. To date, Acinetobacter baumannii has been considered as a final recipient of carbapenemase genes (imipenemase, Verona metallo-β-lactamase, Guiana extended-spectrum β-lactamase and Klebsiella pneumonia carbapenemase types) from Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, recent findings regarding the spread of the blaNDM carbapenemase genes revealed that A. baumannii likely acts as a source of emerging antibiotic resistance genes. The analysis of genetic structure surrounding the blaNDM-1 gene revealed that the genetic structure (Tn125) responsible for its dissemination most probably originates from Acinetobacter. Moreover, analysis of the blaNDM-1 gene itself demonstrated that it might be constructed in Acinetobacter through a recombination event with another resistance gene found in A. baumannii (aphA6). This novel paradigm highlights a novel and unexpected role played by A. baumannii.
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Bonnin et al. (2013) studied this question.
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