Acinetobacter: A potential reservoir and dispenser for β-lactamases

Innate resistance and remarkable ability to acquire additional resistance determinants underline the clinical importance of Acinetobacter. Over 210 β-lactamases belonging to 16 families have been identified in the genus, mostly in clinical isolates of A. baumannii. In this review, we update the current taxonomy of the genus Acinetobacter and summarize the β-lactamases detected in Acinetobacter spp. with an emphasis on Acinetobacter-derived cephalosporinases (ADCs) and carbapenem-hydrolysing class D β-lactamases (CHDLs). We also discuss the roles of integrons and insertion sequence (IS) elements in the expression and dissemination of such resistance determinants.