Discovery of monoclonal antibodies cross-reactive to novel subserotypes of K. pneumoniae O3.

ABSTRACT: Klebsiella pneumoniae is responsible for nosocomial infections causing significant morbidity and mortality. Treatment of newly emerging multi-drug resistant strains is hampered due to severely limited antibiotic choices. Passive immunization targeting LPS O-antigens has been proposed as an alternative therapeutic option, given the limited variability of Klebsiella O-antigens. Here we report that the O3 serogroup, previously considered to have uniform O-antigen built of mannan, represents three different subtypes differing in the number of mannose residues within the O-antigen repeating units. Genetic analysis of the genes encoding mannose polymerization revealed differences that underline the observed structural alterations. The O3 variants represent antigenically different types based on

SUBMITTER: Guachalla LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5529442 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature