TY - JOUR T1 - RecA levels modulate biofilm development in <em>Acinetobacter baumannii</em> JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/809392 SP - 809392 AU - Carly Ching AU - Paul Muller AU - Merlin Brychcy AU - Alicyn Reverdy AU - Brian Nguyen AU - Margaret Downs AU - Samuel Regan AU - Breanna Isley AU - William Fowle AU - Yunrong Chai AU - Veronica G. Godoy Y1 - 2020/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/09/05/809392.abstract N2 - Infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii, a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, are difficult to eradicate due to the bacterium’s propensity to quickly gain antibiotic resistances and form protective bacterial multicellular communities known as biofilms. The A. baumannii DNA damage response (DDR) mediates antibiotic resistance acquisition and regulates RecA in an atypical fashion; both RecALow and RecAHigh cell types are formed in response to DNA damage. In this study, we show that RecA levels modulate biofilm development, formation and dispersal, through bfmR, the global biofilm regulator. RecA loss results in surface attachment and prominent biofilms while elevated RecA leads to diminished attachment and dispersal. Recalcitrance to treatment may be explained by DDR induction, common during infection, and the balance between biofilm maintenance in low RecA cells, and increased mutagenesis and dispersal to reach new niches in high RecA cells. These data highlight the importance of understanding fundamental biology to better treat bacterial infections.Impact The mechanism of biofilm formation and dispersal in A. baumannii, shown here to depend on RecA levels, contributes to the understanding of recalcitrant infections caused by this important pathogen.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest. ER -