An Ribonuclease T2 Family Protein Modulates Acinetobacter baumannii Abiotic Surface Colonization. Acinetobacter baumannii

A. baumannii has the propensity to colonize abiotic surfaces and this is thought to mediate its transmission to susceptible patients. We found that disruption of A. baumannii ribonuclease T2 family protein (ATCC 17978 locus A1S_3026) severely diminishes the organism's ability to colonize abiotic surfaces. We used Affymetrix A. baumannii GeneChips (part number PMDACBA1) to compare the gene expression properties of wild type and isogenic ribonuclease T2 family protein mutant cells. Overall design: A. baumanni strain 98-37-09 (wild type) or isogenic ACJ7 (harboring a EZ-Tn5 insertion in A1S_3026) cells were grown to mid-exponential phase growth in Luria Burtani medium, total bacterial RNA was isolated and subjected to GeneChip hybridization and analysis. We sought to determine the regulatory effects of A1S_3026.