Laboratory study reveals Acinetobacter baumannii inhibits skin commensals through acinetobactin-driven iron competition, suggesting a pathway for asymptomatic patient colonization.
The ability of Acinetobacter baumannii to asymptomatically colonize patients is a risk factor for infection and exacerbates its clinical spread. However, there is minimal information describing how A. baumannii asymptomatically colonizes patients. Here we provide evidence that A. baumannii can inhibit the growth of many skin and upper respiratory commensal bacteria through iron competition and identify acinetobactin as the molecule supporting its nutritional advantage. Outcompeting endogenous commensals through iron competition may support the ability of A. baumannii to colonize and spread among patients.
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Powers et al. (2022) studied this question.
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