Overexpression of the adeB gene in clinical isolates of tigecycline-nonsusceptible Acinetobacter baumannii without insertion mutations in adeRS

Thirteen clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii resistant to carbapenems (MRAB-C) with tigecycline nonsusceptibility were collected from individual patients in this study. None of the 13 isolates shared the same strain characteristics in molecular typing. All of them showed increased adeB transcription, as predicted. However, none of these tigecycline-nonsusceptible MRAB-C isolates were found to possess previously known adeRS mutations. Upregulation of adeB transcription may result from cross stimulation by other mechanisms.