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Menon ND, Poudel S, Sastry AV, Rychel K, Szubin R, Dillon N, Tsunemoto H, Hirose Y, Nair BG, Kumar GB, Palsson BO, Nizet V. Independent component analysis reveals 49 independently modulated gene sets within the global transcriptional regulatory architecture of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. mSystems 2024; 9:e0060623. [PMID: 38189271 PMCID: PMC10878099 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00606-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii causes severe infections in humans, resists multiple antibiotics, and survives in stressful environmental conditions due to modulations of its complex transcriptional regulatory network (TRN). Unfortunately, our global understanding of the TRN in this emerging opportunistic pathogen is limited. Here, we apply independent component analysis, an unsupervised machine learning method, to a compendium of 139 RNA-seq data sets of three multidrug-resistant A. baumannii international clonal complex I strains (AB5075, AYE, and AB0057). This analysis allows us to define 49 independently modulated gene sets, which we call iModulons. Analysis of the identified A. baumannii iModulons reveals validating parallels to previously defined biological operons/regulons and provides a framework for defining unknown regulons. By utilizing the iModulons, we uncover potential mechanisms for a RpoS-independent general stress response, define global stress-virulence trade-offs, and identify conditions that may induce plasmid-borne multidrug resistance. The iModulons provide a model of the TRN that emphasizes the importance of transcriptional regulation of virulence phenotypes in A. baumannii. Furthermore, they suggest the possibility of future interventions to guide gene expression toward diminished pathogenic potential.IMPORTANCEThe rise in hospital outbreaks of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections underscores the urgent need for alternatives to traditional broad-spectrum antibiotic therapies. The success of A. baumannii as a significant nosocomial pathogen is largely attributed to its ability to resist antibiotics and survive environmental stressors. However, there is limited literature available on the global, complex regulatory circuitry that shapes these phenotypes. Computational tools that can assist in the elucidation of A. baumannii's transcriptional regulatory network architecture can provide much-needed context for a comprehensive understanding of pathogenesis and virulence, as well as for the development of targeted therapies that modulate these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitasha D. Menon
- School of Biotechnology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala, India
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems and Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Saugat Poudel
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Anand V. Sastry
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kevin Rychel
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Richard Szubin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Nicholas Dillon
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems and Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Hannah Tsunemoto
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Yujiro Hirose
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems and Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Bipin G. Nair
- School of Biotechnology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala, India
| | - Geetha B. Kumar
- School of Biotechnology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kerala, India
| | - Bernhard O. Palsson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Victor Nizet
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems and Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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