Article
Microbiology
Lingjie Song, Xianggui Yang, Jinwei Huang, Xiaokui Zhu, Guohui Han, Yan Wan, Ying Xu, Guangxin Luan, Xu Jia
Summary: This study isolated and characterized two Podoviridae phages, hvKpP1 and hvKpP2, which were used in bacteriophage therapy against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, it was found that the resistant bacteria produced during phage therapy had significantly reduced virulence due to nucleotide deletion mutations in wzc and wcaJ genes, leading to loss of capsule and decreased virulence. These findings contribute to a better understanding of bacteriophage therapy and its potential in reducing bacterial virulence.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fuqiang Kang, Zili Chai, Beiping Li, Mingda Hu, Zilong Yang, Xia Wang, Wenting Liu, Hongguang Ren, Yuan Jin, Junjie Yue
Summary: This study identified 15,946 prophages from 1437 fully assembled K. pneumoniae genomes deposited in the NCBI database, with 9755 prophages on chromosomes and 6191 prophages on plasmids. The results showed that prophages in the K. pneumoniae genomes are diverse and widely distributed. The prophages encoded multiple putative virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ping Yang, Zhenchao Wu, Chao Liu, Jiajia Zheng, Nan Wu, Zhangli Wu, Juan Yi, Ming Lu, Ning Shen
Summary: This study evaluated the clinical outcomes and microbiological features of ST11 Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. The results showed that ST11 Kp infection was associated with a higher risk of mortality and antimicrobial resistance.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Shokri M. Shafik, Hisham A. Abbas, Nehal Yousef, Moustafa M. Saleh
Summary: Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae poses a significant threat to public health and requires new strategies for combatting the pathogen. The study found that metformin, N-acetylcysteine, and secnidazole can inhibit the virulence factor production of Klebsiella pneumoniae and protect mice from pathogenesis.
Article
Microbiology
Chun-Chou Tsai, Jung-Chung Lin, Pei-Chen Chen, Esther Yip-Mei Liu, Yu-Kuo Tsai, Chia-Peng Yu, Jia-Je Li, Ching-Hsun Wang, Chang-Phone Fung, Fu-Mei Lin, Feng-Yee Chang, L. Kristopher Siu
Summary: This nationwide study examined the seroepidemiology of Klebsiella pneumoniae over a period of 20 years using blood culture isolates. The study found that the prevalence of serotypes remained consistent over the 20-year period, with high-prevalence serotypes associated with invasive types. Nontypeable isolates had fewer virulence determinants than other serotypes. With the exception of serotype K62, the other high-prevalence serotypes were highly susceptible to antibiotics. If rapid diagnosis using direct clinical specimens, such as PCR or antigen serotyping, is available, empirical treatment can be predicted based on serotype, particularly for K1 and K2. The results of this seroepidemiology study could also help the development of future capsule polysaccharide vaccines.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Nikoletta Argyro Theocharidi, Iliana Balta, Dimitra Houhoula, Andreas G. Tsantes, George P. Lalliotis, Angeliki C. Polydera, Haralambos Stamatis, Panagiotis Halvatsiotis
Summary: The study revealed a high frequency of foodborne Klebsiella pneumoniae in Greece, with most strains carrying both resistance and virulence genes, indicating a significant risk to human health.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Edson Luiz Tarsia Duarte, Camila Fonseca Rizek, Evelyn Sanchez Espinoza, Ana Paula Marchi, Saidy Vasconez Noguera, Marina Farrel Cortes, Bianca H. Ventura Fernandes, Thais Guimaraes, Claudia M. D. de Maio Carrilho, Lauro Perdigao Neto, Priscila A. Trindade, Silvia Figueiredo Costa
Summary: This study found that in a zebrafish model, ST16 was significantly associated with a more virulent phenotype in Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. Although there are multiple virulence factors in K. pneumoniae, ST16 was identified as the only significant predictor of virulence in an animal model. Further research is needed to fully understand the correlation between virulence and sequence types.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Arwa R. Elmanakhly, Mahmoud M. Bendary, Nesreen A. Safwat, Eman Abu-Elnasr Awad, Majid Alhomrani, Abdulhakeem S. Alamri, El-Sayed Khafagy, Hadil Faris Alotaibi, Fatma Abou-Elazm
Summary: The study assesses the antimicrobial resistance and virulence fitness of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP). The results indicate high levels of heterogeneity among CRKP isolates, with blood isolates showing high antimicrobial resistance and low virulence fitness. The findings highlight the severity and diversity of K. pneumoniae infections, calling for renewed treatment approaches.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Fan Hu, Meng-Lu Lin, Juan-Li Mou, Jia-Hui Feng, Kai Huang, Yao-Jia Lao, Jie Cheng, Jun Lin
Summary: This study collected 45 CRKP strains isolated from hospitalized patients in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from August 2018 to December 2020. Through MLST and whole genome sequencing analysis, it was found that these strains carried multiple drug resistance genes and virulence factors, and were mainly related to nosocomial infection. These findings have implications for the clinical prevention and treatment of severe bacterial infections.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mykhailo Savin, Gabriele Bierbaum, Nico T. Mutters, Ricarda Maria Schmithausen, Judith Kreyenschmidt, Isidro Garcia-Menino, Silvia Schmoger, Annemarie Kaesbohrer, Jens Andre Hammerl
Summary: This study characterizes carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella spp. in wastewater and surface water in Germany. The isolates showed resistance to multiple antibiotics and a high diversity of antibiotic-resistance genes. Virulence factors were also present in most isolates. The findings suggest the possible dissemination of resistant bacteria in the environment and the risk of colonization and infection in humans, livestock, and wildlife.
Article
Immunology
Peng Lan, Rushuang Yan, Ye Lu, Dongdong Zhao, Qiucheng Shi, Yan Jiang, Yunsong Yu, Jiancang Zhou
Summary: Siderophores are low molecular weight compounds that facilitate bacterial iron consumption, with genetic diversity of siderophore-encoding loci contributing to production and regulation complexity in K. pneumoniae. Analysis of three acquired siderophores in 272 K. pneumoniae strains revealed distinct predominant siderophore loci in hypervirulent and multidrug-resistant lineages. Strains producing multiple siderophore types tend to have higher mucoviscosity levels, indicating a possible synergistic interaction between siderophore production and hypermucoviscosity phenotype.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Moe Takemura, Masaya Yamaguchi, Momoko Kobayashi, Tomoko Sumitomo, Yujiro Hirose, Daisuke Okuzaki, Masayuki Ono, Daisuke Motooka, Kana Goto, Masanobu Nakata, Narikazu Uzawa, Shigetada Kawabata
Summary: The gene bgaA in Streptococcus pneumoniae has been identified as a multifunctional virulence factor that affects glycan metabolism, bacterial adherence, and resistance to neutrophil-mediated killing. Deletion of bgaA reduces bacterial association with human cells and enhances neutrophil-mediated killing in human blood. In a mouse sepsis model, the absence of bgaA leads to increased host immune response, suppressed tissue damage, and blood coagulation. Therefore, BgaA could be a potential target for drug design and vaccine development against pneumococcal infection.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Dina M. Osama, Bishoy M. Zaki, Wafaa S. Khalaf, Marwa Yousry A. Mohamed, Mahmoud M. Tawfick, Heba M. Amin
Summary: This study investigated the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of hypermucoviscous Klebsiella pneumoniae (hmvKp) isolated from healthy individuals' gut. All isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR), and the majority of hmvKp isolates belonged to capsular serotype K2. Multiple virulence genes were detected in all study isolates. The absence of essential hypermucoviscosity-related genes such as magA and rmpA suggests the complex nature of this trait. Further research is warranted to confirm the hypermucoviscosity-related virulence factors among pathogenic and commensal Kp in different colonization niches.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Thongpan Leangapichart, Kamonwan Lunha, Jatesada Jiwakanon, Sunpetch Angkititrakul, Josef D. Jarhult, Ulf Magnusson, Marianne Sunde
Summary: The study found that approximately 50% of healthy pigs and humans in Thailand were colonized by Klebsiella pneumoniae complex (KP). Some KP clones were shared between pigs and humans, suggesting the possibility of zoonotic transmission.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ehssan Moglad, Nuor Alanazi, Hisham N. Altayb
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the whole genomes of K. pneumoniae strains isolated from Al-Kharj, KSA, and described their genotypic and phenotypic characteristics. The results revealed the presence of antibiotic resistance genes and hypervirulent plasmids, suggesting the dissemination of high-risk clones in the region.