Deciphering the relative importance of genetic elements in hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae to guide countermeasure development.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Quantitating the contribution of phenotype-responsible elements in hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae is needed.

Methods

Isogenic mutants of four hypervirulent clinical isolates that produced K1 (ST23), K2 (ST86), K20 (ST1544), or K54 (ST29) capsules (mean 2.2 log₁₀ LD₅₀ (range 1.5-2.9)) were created to measure the effects on LD₅₀ in a murine model of the hypervirulence-associated plasmid (pVir), iucA, _prmpA, _prmpA2 (truncated), irp2, and clbBC.

Findings

Curing pVir had the greatest increase in survival (mean LD₅₀ to 7.6 (range 7.0-9.0, p ≤ 0.0001), a dosage comparable to classical K. pneumoniae. Results also showed increased mean LD₅₀s for Δ_prmpA (5.9, p ≤ 0.0001), Δiu

SUBMITTER: Russo TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11388194 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature