DNA uptake and twitching motility are controlled by small RNA Arp through repression of pilin translation in Acinetobacter baumannii.

Arp, a small RNA in Acinetobacter baumannii, represses pilA translation by sequestering the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and first seven codons, limiting T4P-driven DNA uptake and twitching motility.

• Why it matters: Natural transformation in Acinetobacter baumannii depends on type IV pili, but post-transcriptional control of pilus assembly—and thus horizontal gene transfer and antimicrobial resistance spread—remains poorly defined.
• What they did: Using Hi-GRIL-seq, in-line probing, and translational reporter assays, the study mapped Arp interactions to the 5' end of pilA mRNA and tested how Arp affects translation and T4P phenotypes.
• The result: Deleting arp increased DNA uptake and twitching motility, while overexpressing Arp depleted pilA mRNA and significantly impaired both phenotypes, suggesting a regulatory lever to disrupt horizontal gene transfer in multidrug-resistant strains.

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