Acinetobacter baumannii: biology and drug resistance — role of carbapenemases

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative, glucose-non-fermenting, oxidase-negative coccobacillus, most commonly associated with the hospital settings. The ability to survive in adverse environmental conditions as well as high level of natural and acquired antimicrobial resistance make A. baumannii one of the most important nosocomial pathogens. While carbapenems have long been considered as antimicrobials of last-resort, the rates of clinical A. baumannii strains resistant to these antibiotics are increasing worldwide. Carbapenem resistance among A. baumannii is conferred by coexisting mechanisms including: decrease in permeability of the outer membrane, efflux pumps, production of beta-lactamases, and modification of penicillin-binding proteins. The most prevalent mechanism of carbapenem resistance among A. baumannii is associated with carbapenem-hydro­lysing enzymes that belong to Ambler class D and B beta-lactamases. In addition, there have also been reports of resistance mediated by selected Ambler class A carbapenemases among A. baumannii strains. Resistance determinants in A. baumannii are located on chromosome and plasmids, while acquisition of new mechanisms can be mediated by insertion sequences, integrons, transposons, and plasmids. Clinical relevance of carbapen­em resistance among strains isolated from infected patients, carriers and hospital environment underlines the need for carbapenemase screening. Currently available methods vary in principle, accuracy and efficiency. The techniques that deserve particular attention belong to both easily accessible unsophisticated methods as well as advanced techniques based on mass spectrometry or molecular biology. While carbapenemases limit the therapeutic options in A. baumannii infections, studies concerning novel beta-lactamase inhibitors offer a new insight into effective therapy

High throughput analysis of Rpi genes in potato cultivars, breeding lines and wild Solanum species

Poster presented at 12TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PLANT PATHOLOGY ICPP2023, Lyon, France The research leading to these results has received funding from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, project DivGene: UMO2019/34/H/NZ9/0055

Amplicon sequencing of NBS LRR genes conferring resistance to Phytophthora infestans in potato

Poster presented at 2023 IS-MPMI Congress, Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, Providence, USA The research leading to these results has received funding from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, project DivGene: UMO2019/34/H/NZ9/0055

Presence of homologues of the PVY resistance gene Rysto in wild relatives of potato

Poster presented at 12TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PLANT PATHOLOGY ICPP2023, Lyon, France The research leading to these results has received funding from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, project DivGene: UMO2019/34/H/NZ9/0055

PacBio amplicon sequencing of Rysto homologues in wild potato species

Poster presented at EAPR Pathology & Pests Section Meeting, Arras, France The research leading to these results has received funding from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, project DivGene: UMO2019/34/H/NZ9/0055

Diversity analysis of Rpi-ber1 and Rpi-vnt1 genes determining broad spectrum resistance to Phytophthora infestans

Poster presented at EAPR Pathology & Pests Section Meeting, Arras, France The research leading to these results has received funding from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, project DivGene: UMO2019/34/H/NZ9/0055

Aggressiveness test of Phytophthora infestans isolates with different effector alleles

Poster presented at EAPR Pathology & Pests Section Meeting, Arras, France The research leading to these results has received funding from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, project DivGene: UMO2019/34/H/NZ9/0055

Differences in Avr-vnt1 alleles and aggressiveness in four European Phytophthora infestans lineages

Poster presented at 12TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PLANT PATHOLOGY ICPP2023, Lyon, France The research leading to these results has received funding from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, project DivGene: UMO2019/34/H/NZ9/0055