Characterisation of the Acinetobacter baumannii type VI secretion system

Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacterium that causes serious infections, which are often acquired in hospital. Alarmingly, A. baumannii rapidly gains resistance to conventional antibiotic treatments, making the identification of novel treatment options essential. Like many bacteria, A. baumannii uses the type six secretion system to kill competing bacteria. This system is a weapon used to deliver toxins into nearby bacterial cells. This thesis investigates the mechanism of action of one such toxin from A. baumannii, Tse15, and examines methods that bacteria use to evade killing by the type six secretion system during interbacterial competition.