The plasmid-borne hipBA operon of Klebsiella michiganensis encodes a potent plasmid stabilization system.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Klebsiella michiganensis is a medically important bacterium that has been subject to relatively little attention in the literature. Interrogation of sequence data from K. michiganensis strains in our collection has revealed the presence of multiple large plasmids encoding type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems. Such TA systems are responsible for mediating a range of phenotypes, including plasmid stability ('addiction') and antibiotic persistence. In this work, we characterize the hipBA TA locus found within the Klebsiella oxytoca species complex (KoSC).

Methods and results

The HipBA TA system is encoded on a plasmid carried by K. michiganensis PS_Koxy4, isolated from an infection outbreak. Employing viability and plasmid stability assays, we demonstrate that PS_Koxy4 Hip

SUBMITTER: Shutt-McCabe J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11487325 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature