Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibit variability in capsular polysaccharide and capsule associated virulence traits.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Novel therapies are urgently needed to treat carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp)-mediated infection, which constitute a major health threat in the United States. In order to assess if it is feasible to develop anticapsular antibodies as a potential novel therapy, it is crucial to first systematically characterize capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and virulence traits in these strains.

Methods

Forty CR-Kp were genotyped by pulsed field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and molecular capsule typing (C-patterns and wzi sequencing). Their biofilm formation, serum resistance, macrophage-mediated killing, and virulence in Galleria mellonella were compared. MAb (1C9) was generated by co-immunization with 2 CPSs, and cross-reactivity was i

SUBMITTER: Diago-Navarro E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4432395 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature