Published on Oct. 31, 2023 in mBio volume 14 (5).
PubMed ID: 37589464
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01416-23
Abstract:
As deficiencies in tRNA modifications have been linked to human diseases such as cancer and diabetes, much research has focused on the modifications' impacts on translational regulation in eukaryotes. However, the significance of tRNA modifications in bacterial physiology remains largely unexplored. In this paper, we demonstrate that the m<sup>7</sup>G tRNA methyltransferase TrmB is crucial for a top-priority pathogen, <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, to respond to stressors encountered during infection, including oxidative stress, low pH, and iron deprivation. We show that loss of TrmB dramatically attenuates a murine pulmonary infection. Given the current efforts to use another tRNA methyltransferase, TrmD, as an antimicrobial therapeutic target, we propose that TrmB, and other tRNA methyltransferases, may also be viable options for drug development to combat multidrug-resistant <i>A. baumannii</i>.