Mobile genetic elements in shaping <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> pathogenicity.

ABSTRACT: Klebsiella pneumoniae has evolved from an opportunistic pathogen into a formidable global threat, with hypervirulent strains now causing severe infections in healthy individuals and carbapenem-resistant variants achieving mortality rates exceeding 42%. This transformation can be driven by mobile genetic elements including plasmids, integrative conjugative elements (ICE), insertion sequences (ISs), transposons, and integrons. Recent discoveries reveal that these elements employ sophisticated mechanisms: conjugative virulence plasmids dissemination across bacterial populations; ICEs-mediated virulence traits transfer; and hybrid genetic elements simultaneously confer virulence and antimicrobial resistance. Understanding these molecular mechanisms is critical for developing targeted di

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12816380 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature