Pathogenic bacteria survive in
iron-limited host environments by using several
iron acquisition mechanisms. Acinetobacter baumannii, causing serious
infections in compromised patients, produces an
iron-chelating molecule, called
acinetobactin, which is composed of equimolar quantities of
2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA),
L-threonine, and N-hydroxyhistamine, to compete with host cells for
iron. Genes that are involved in the production and transport of
acinetobactin are clustered within the genome of A. baumannii. A recent study showed that entA, located outside of the
acinetobactin gene cluster, plays important roles in the biosynthesis of the
acinetobactin precursor DHBA and in bacterial pathogenesis. Therefore, understanding the genes that are associated with the biosynthesis and transport of
acinetobactin in the bacterial genome is required. This review is intended to provide a general overview of the genes in the genome of A. baumannii that are required for
acinetobactin biosynthesis and transport.