A critical role of copper homeostasis in the virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

ABSTRACT: Pathogens are exposed to toxic levels of copper during infection, and copper tolerance may represent a general virulence mechanism utilized by bacteria to evade host defenses. Therefore, the precise regulation of copper homeostasis in bacteria is crucial for coping with external copper stress. However, little is known about the role of copper homeostasis in the virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), an important clinical pathogen. This study focused on the potential systems of copper homeostasis in K. pneumoniae and found that deletion of Cue system genes significantly reduced bacterial copper tolerance. The decreased tolerance was due to increased intracellular copper accumulation and greater susceptibility to oxidative stress in the mutants. Furthermore, ΔcopA, ΔcueO ΔcopA,

SUBMITTER: Han M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12627731 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature