Proteome analysis of outer membrane vesicles from a clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolate

The secretion of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) is one of the major mechanisms by which Gram-negative bacteria deliver effector molecules to host cells. Acinetobacter baumannii is an important opportunistic pathogen in hospital-acquired infections, but the secretion system for effector molecules to induce host cell damage has not been characterized. In the present study, we investigated the secretion of OMVs from a clinical A. baumannii isolate and analyzed the comprehensive proteome of A. baumannii-derived OMVs. Acinetobacter baumannii secreted OMVs into the extracellular milieu during in vitro growth. Using 1-DE and LC-MS/MS protein identification and assignment analysis, 132 different proteins associated with OMVs were identified. These proteins were derived from outer membranes (n=26), periplasmic space (n=6), inner membranes (n=8), cytoplasm (n=43), and unknown localization or multiple localization sites (n=49) according to the cell location prediction programs. Among the proteins associated with OMVs, a potent cytotoxic molecule, outer membrane protein A, was highly enriched and several putative virulence-associated proteins were also identified. These results suggest that OMVs from A. baumannii are an important vehicle designed to deliver effector molecules to host cells.