Transcriptome of Acinetobacter baumannii exposed to inducer of natural transformation

Natural transformation in Acinetobacter baumannii poses a serious threat to human health, as it allows rapid genomic adaptation and the acquisition of traits such as multidrug resistance. This form of horizontal gene transfer is often inducible, triggered by signals or environmental conditions that can be species-specific. Although conditions promoting transformation have been identified for several A. baumannii strains, the underlying signals and mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we analyze the transcriptional responses of A. baumannii to transformation-inducing conditions, specifically exposure to agarose soluble extracts (ASE), calcium, and magnesium chloride.