Acinetobacter baumannii: Polymyxins Bind to the Cell Surface of Unculturable Acinetobacter baumannii and Cause Unique Dependent Resistance (Adv. Sci. 15/2020)

In article number 2000704, Jian Li and co-workers elucidate the novel mechanism of dependent resistance to the last-line polymyxins in a high-priority “superbug” Acinetobacter baumannii. Polymyxindependent resistance cannot be detected by conventional microbiological diagnosis due to the lack of growth on normal agar plates. These polymyxin-dependent Acinetobacter baumannii isolates utilize the rigid polymyxin molecules as sticking plasters to stabilize their fragile lipopolysaccharide-deficient and phosphatidylglycerol-rich outer membrane.