| CLSI | Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute |
| CMS | colistimethate sodium |
| Dab | L-α,γ-diaminobutyric acid |
| EUCAST | European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing |
| Kdo | 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid |
| L-Ara4N | 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose |
| Leu | leucine |
| LPS | lipopolysaccharide |
| MALDI-TOF/MS | matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight/mass spectrometry |
| mcr | mobilized colistin resistance |
| MDR | multi-drug resistant |
| MIC | mimimum inhibitory concentration |
| pEtN | phosphoethanolamine |
| ROS | reactive oxygen species |
| SMR | small multidrug resistance |
| Thr | threonine |