Growth in a biofilm promotes conjugation of a <i>bla</i> _NDM-1-bearing plasmid between <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> strains.

ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing problem, especially in Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae such as Klebsiella pneumoniae. Horizontal transfer of conjugative plasmids contributes to AMR gene dissemination. Bacteria such as K. pneumoniae commonly exist in biofilms, yet most studies focus on planktonic cultures. Here we studied the transfer of a multi-drug resistance plasmid in planktonic and biofilm populations of K. pneumoniae. We determined plasmid transfer from a clinical isolate, CPE16, which carried four plasmids, including the 119-kbp bla_NDM-1-bearing F-type plasmid pCPE16_3, in planktonic and biofilm conditions. We found that transfer frequency of pCPE16_3 in a biofilm was orders-of-magnitude higher than between planktonic cells. In 5/7

SUBMITTER: Element SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10449501 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature