More Than Just Light: Clinical Relevance of Light Perception in the Nosocomial Pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii and Other Members of the Genus Acinetobacter.

A summary of the major findings concerning light modulation in Acinetobacter baumannii, which governs aspects related to the success of this microorganism as a nosocomial pathogen, is presented. Particularly, the evidence shows that light modulates the ability of the bacteria to persist in the environment, its virulence against eukaryotic hosts and even susceptibility to certain antibiotics. The light signal is sensed through different mechanisms, in some cases involving specialized photoreceptors of the BLUF-type, whereas in others, directly by a photosensitizer molecule. We also provide new data concerning the genomic context of BLUF-domain containing proteins within the genus Acinetobacter, as well as further insights into the mechanism of light-mediated reduction in susceptibility to antibiotics. The overall information points toward light being a crucial stimulus in the lifestyle of members of the genus Acinetobacter as well as in other clinically relevant species, such as members of the ESKAPE group, playing therefore an important role in the clinical settings.

White and blue light induce reduction in susceptibility to minocycline and tigecycline in Acinetobacter spp. and other bacteria of clinical importance.

Minocycline (MIN) and tigecycline (TIG) are antibiotics currently used for treatment of multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogens. In this work, we show that blue light, as well as white light, modulates susceptibility to these antibiotics in a temperature-dependent manner. The modulation of susceptibility by light depends on the content of iron; an increase in iron results in a reduction in antibiotic susceptibility both under light and in the dark, though the effect is more pronounced in the latter condition. We further provide insights into the mechanism by showing that reduction in susceptibility to MIN and TIG induced by light is likely triggered by the generation of (1)O2, which, by a yet unknown mechanism, would ultimately lead to the activation of resistance genes such as those coding for the efflux pump AdeABC. The clinical relevance of these results may lie in surface-exposed wound infections, given the exposure to light in addition to the relatively low temperatures recorded in this type of lesion. We further show that the modulation of antibiotic susceptibility occurs not only in Acinetobacter baumannii but also in other micro-organisms of clinical relevance such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, our findings allow us to suggest that MIN and TIG antibiotic treatments may be improved by the inclusion of an iron chelator, in addition to keeping the wounds in the dark, a condition that would increase the effectiveness in the control of infections involving these micro-organisms.