Yale scientists found A. baumannii devotes a considerable portion of its genes to pathogenesis.

Yale University researchers have determined the pathogenic content of A. baumannii, a bacteria responsible for several infections, including pneumonia, meningitis, and those of the urinary tract.


“The sequence of the genome of this organism is critical for understanding how it harms humans and ultimately will be useful for designing therapeutic agents to combat this infectious disease,” points out Michael Snyder, Ph.D., who led the research at Yale University.


Using 454 Life Sciences’ Genome Sequencer system, the scientists found that A. baumannii devotes a considerable portion of its genes to pathogenesis. A large amount of foreign bacterial DNA was seen to be incorporated into the A. baumannii genome. Sequencing also helped to identify virulence genes that lack homology with other known genes.


The study was published in Genes & Development.

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