The transcriptional profile of the bacteriophage-resistant AB43

Capsule is a critical virulence factor that significantly contributes to phage resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii. To investigate the interplay between capsule-based defense and phage predation, we applied phage selection pressure to A. baumannii to generate isogenic phage-resistant mutants. Utilizing transcriptomic analysis, we subsequently characterized the global alterations in the biological regulatory network of a capsule-deficient, phage-resistant mutant in comparison to its parental strain. This approach allowed us to identify key transcriptional reprogramming events associated with the acquisition of phage resistance in the absence of a functional capsule. Overall design: RNA-seq profiles of bacteriophage-resistant AB43