scholarly journals Elucidating the Regulon of Multidrug Resistance Regulator RarA in Klebsiella pneumoniae

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 1603-1609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shyamasree De Majumdar ◽  
Mark Veleba ◽  
Sarah Finn ◽  
Séamus Fanning ◽  
Thamarai Schneiders

ABSTRACTRarA is an AraC-type regulator inKlebsiella pneumoniae, which, when overexpressed, confers a low-level multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype linked to the upregulation of both theacrABandoqxABefflux genes. IncreasedrarAexpression has also been shown to be integral in the development of tigecycline resistance in the absence oframAinK. pneumoniae. Given its phenotypic role in MDR, microarray analyses were performed to determine the RarA regulon. Transcriptome analysis was undertaken using strains Ecl8ΔrarA/pACrarA-2 (rarA-expressing construct) and Ecl8ΔrarA/pACYC184 (vector-only control) using bespoke microarray slides consisting of probes derived from the genomic sequences ofK. pneumoniaeMGH 78578 (NC_009648.1) and Kp342 (NC_011283.1). Our results show thatrarAoverexpression resulted in the differential expression of 66 genes (42 upregulated and 24 downregulated). Under the COG (clusters of orthologous groups) functional classification, the majority of affected genes belonged to the category of cell envelope biogenesis and posttranslational modification, along with genes encoding the previously uncharacterized transport proteins (e.g., KPN_03141,sdaCB, andleuE) and the porin OmpF. However, genes associated with energy production and conversion and amino acid transport/metabolism (e.g.,nuoA,narJ, andproWX) were found to be downregulated. Biolog phenotype analyses demonstrated thatrarAoverexpression confers enhanced growth of the overexpresser in the presence of several antibiotic classes (i.e., beta-lactams and fluoroquinolones), the antifungal/antiprotozoal compound clioquinol, disinfectants (8-hydroxyquinoline), protein synthesis inhibitors (i.e., minocycline and puromycin), membrane biogenesis agents (polymyxin B and amitriptyline), DNA synthesis (furaltadone), and the cytokinesis inhibitor (sanguinarine). Both our transcriptome and phenotypic microarray data support and extend the role of RarA in the MDR phenotype ofK. pneumoniae.

mSphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Loraine ◽  
Eva Heinz ◽  
Jessica De Sousa Almeida ◽  
Oleksandr Milevskyy ◽  
Supayang P. Voravuthikunchai ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe capacity to resist the bactericidal action of complement (C′) is a strong but poorly understood virulence trait inKlebsiellaspp. Killing requires activation of one or more C′ pathways, assembly of C5b-9 membrane attack complexes (MACs) on the surface of the outer membrane (OM), and penetration of MACs into the target bilayer. We interrogated whole-genome sequences of 164Klebsiellaisolates from three tertiary hospitals in Thailand for genes encoding surface-located macromolecules considered to play a role in determination of C′ resistance. Most isolates (154/164) were identified asKlebsiella pneumoniae, and the collection conformed to previously established population structures and antibiotic resistance patterns. The distribution of sequence types (STs) and capsular (K) types were also typical of global populations. The majority (64%) of isolates were resistant to C′, and the remainder were either rapidly or slowly killed. All isolates carried genes encoding capsular polysaccharides (K antigens), which have been strongly linked to C′ resistance. In contrast to previous reports, there were no differences in the amount of capsule produced by C′-resistant isolates compared to C′-susceptible isolates, nor was there any correlation between serum reactivity and the presence of hypermucoviscous capsules. Similarly, there were no correlations between the presence of genes specifying lipopolysaccharide O-side chains or major OM proteins. Some virulence factors were found more frequently in C′-resistant isolates but were considered to reflect clonal ST expansion. Thus, no single gene accounts for the C′ resistance of the isolates sequenced in this study.IMPORTANCEMultidrug-resistantKlebsiella pneumoniaeis responsible for an increasing proportion of nosocomial infections, and emerging hypervirulentK. pneumoniaeclones now cause severe community-acquired infections in otherwise healthy individuals. These bacteria are adept at circumventing immune defenses, and most survive and grow in serum; their capacity to avoid C′-mediated destruction is correlated with their invasive potential. Killing of Gram-negative bacteria occurs following activation of the C′ cascades and stable deposition of C5b-9 MACs onto the OM. ForKlebsiella, studies with mutants and conjugants have invoked capsules, lipopolysaccharide O-side chains, and OM proteins as determinants of C′ resistance, although the precise roles of the macromolecules are unclear. In this study, we sequenced 164Klebsiellaisolates with different C′ susceptibilities to identify genes involved in resistance. We conclude that no single OM constituent can account for resistance, which is likely to depend on biophysical properties of the target bilayer.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 6969-6972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caio Augusto Martins Aires ◽  
Polyana Silva Pereira ◽  
Marise Dutra Asensi ◽  
Ana Paula D'Alincourt Carvalho-Assef

ABSTRACTWe aimed to investigate polymyxin B (PMB) resistance and its molecular mechanisms in 126Klebsiella pneumoniaeisolates from rectal swabs in Brazil. Ten isolates exhibited PMB resistance with interruption ofmgrBgene by insertion sequences or missense mutations. Most of the PMB-resistant isolates harboredblaKPC-2(n= 8) and belonged to clonal complex 258 (CC258) (n= 7). These results highlight the importance of monitoring the spread of polymyxin-resistant bacteria in hospitals, since few options remain to treat multidrug-resistant isolates.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 4449-4462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijaya Bharathi Srinivasan ◽  
Govindan Rajamohan

ABSTRACTKlebsiella pneumoniaehas been frequently associated with nosocomial infections. Efflux systems are ubiquitous transporters that also function in drug resistance. Genome analysis ofK. pneumoniaestrain NTUH-K2044 revealed the presence of ∼15 putative drug efflux systems. We discuss here for the first time the characterization of a putative SMR-type efflux pump, anebrABhomolog (denoted here askpnEF) with respect toKlebsiellaphysiology and the multidrug-resistant phenotype. Analysis of hypermucoviscosity revealed direct involvement ofkpnEFin capsule synthesis. The ΔkpnEFmutant displayed higher sensitivity to hyperosmotic (∼2.8-fold) and high bile (∼4.0-fold) concentrations. Mutation inkpnEFresulted in increased susceptibility to cefepime, ceftriaxone, colistin, erythromycin, rifampin, tetracycline, and streptomycin; mutated strains changed from being resistant to being susceptible, and the resistance was restored upon complementation. The ΔkpnEFmutant displayed enhanced sensitivity toward structurally related compounds such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, deoxycholate, and dyes, including clinically relevant disinfectants such as benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine, and triclosan. The prevalence ofkpnEFin clinical strains broadens the diversity of antibiotic resistance inK. pneumoniae. Experimental evidence of CpxR binding to the efflux pump promoter and quantification of its expression in acpxARmutant background demonstratedkpnEFto be a member of the Cpx regulon. This study helps to elucidate the unprecedented biological functions of the SMR-type efflux pump inKlebsiellaspp.


2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helio S. Sader ◽  
Mariana Castanheira ◽  
Dee Shortridge ◽  
Rodrigo E. Mendes ◽  
Robert K. Flamm

ABSTRACT The in vitro activity of ceftazidime-avibactam and many comparator agents was determined against various resistant subsets of organisms selected among 36,380 Enterobacteriaceae and 7,868 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. The isolates were consecutively collected from 94 U.S. hospitals, and all isolates were tested for susceptibility by reference broth microdilution methods in a central monitoring laboratory (JMI Laboratories). Enterobacteriaceae isolates resistant to carbapenems (CRE) and/or ceftazidime-avibactam (MIC ≥ 16 μg/ml) were evaluated for the presence of genes encoding extended-spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases. Ceftazidime-avibactam inhibited >99.9% of all Enterobacteriaceae at the susceptible breakpoint of ≤8 μg/ml and was active against multidrug-resistant (MDR; n = 2,953; MIC50/90, 0.25/1 μg/ml; 99.2% susceptible), extensively drug-resistant (XDR; n = 448; MIC50/90, 0.5/2 μg/ml; 97.8% susceptible), and CRE (n = 513; MIC50/90, 0.5/2 μg/ml; 97.5% susceptible) isolates. Only 82.2% of MDR Enterobacteriaceae (n = 2,953) and 64.2% of ceftriaxone-nonsusceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 1,063) isolates were meropenem susceptible. Among Enterobacter cloacae (22.2% ceftazidime nonsusceptible), 99.8% of the isolates, including 99.3% of the ceftazidime-nonsusceptible isolates, were ceftazidime-avibactam susceptible. Only 23 of 36,380 Enterobacteriaceae (0.06%) isolates were ceftazidime-avibactam nonsusceptible, including 9 metallo-β-lactamase producers and 2 KPC-producing strains with porin alteration; the remaining 12 strains showed negative results for all β-lactamases tested. Ceftazidime-avibactam showed potent activity against P. aeruginosa (MIC50/90, 2/4 μg/ml; 97.1% susceptible), including MDR (MIC50/90, 4/16 μg/ml; 86.5% susceptible) isolates, and inhibited 71.8% of isolates nonsusceptible to meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, and ceftazidime (n = 628). In summary, ceftazidime-avibactam demonstrated potent activity against a large collection (n = 44,248) of contemporary Gram-negative bacilli isolated from U.S. patients, including organisms resistant to most currently available agents, such as CRE and meropenem-nonsusceptible P. aeruginosa.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 1971-1973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucinda M. Lamb ◽  
Jared L. Crandon ◽  
David P. Nicolau

ABSTRACTP-873 is a novel compound in the RX-04 pyrrolocytosine series of protein synthesis inhibitors currently under development by Rib-X Pharmaceuticals. We evaluated the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of this compound againstKlebsiella pneumoniaeusing a murine neutropenic thigh infection model. P-873 demonstrated potent and rapidin vivoactivity against this organism with enhanced penetration and duration of exposure in thigh tissue.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattia Palmieri ◽  
Kelly L. Wyres ◽  
Caroline Mirande ◽  
Zhao Qiang ◽  
Ye Liyan ◽  
...  

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a frequent cause of nosocomial and severe community-acquired infections. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) and hypervirulent (hv) strains represent major threats, and tracking their emergence, evolution and the emerging convergence of MDR and hv traits is of major importance. We employed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to study the evolution and epidemiology of a large longitudinal collection of clinical K. pneumoniae isolates from the H301 hospital in Beijing, China. Overall, the population was highly diverse, although some clones were predominant. Strains belonging to clonal group (CG) 258 were dominant, and represented the majority of carbapenemase-producers. While CG258 strains showed high diversity, one clone, ST11-KL47, represented the majority of isolates, and was highly associated with the KPC-2 carbapenemase and several virulence factors, including a virulence plasmid. The second dominant clone was CG23, which is the major hv clone globally. While it is usually susceptible to multiple antibiotics, we found some isolates harbouring MDR plasmids encoding for ESBLs and carbapenemases. We also reported the local emergence of a recently described high-risk clone, ST383. Conversely to strains belonging to CG258, which are usually associated to KPC-2, ST383 strains seem to readily acquire carbapenemases of different types. Moreover, we found several ST383 strains carrying the hypervirulence plasmid. Overall, we detected about 5 % of simultaneous carriage of AMR genes (ESBLs or carbapenemases) and hypervirulence genes. Tracking the emergence and evolution of such strains, causing severe infections with limited treatment options, is fundamental in order to understand their origin and evolution and to limit their spread. This article contains data hosted by Microreact.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katlego Kopotsa ◽  
Nontombi M. Mbelle ◽  
John Osei Sekyere

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) remains a major clinical pathogen and public health threat with few therapeutic options. The mobilome, resistome, methylome, virulome and phylogeography of CRKP in South Africa and globally were characterized. CRKP collected in 2018 were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, screening by multiplex PCR, genotyping by repetitive element palindromic (REP)-PCR, plasmid size, number, incompatibility and mobility analyses, and PacBio’s SMRT sequencing (n=6). There were 56 multidrug-resistant CRKP, having bla OXA-48-like and bla NDM-1/7 carbapenemases on self-transmissible IncF, A/C, IncL/M and IncX3 plasmids endowed with prophages, traT, resistance islands, and type I and II restriction modification systems (RMS). Plasmids and clades detected in this study were respectively related to globally established/disseminated plasmids clades/clones, evincing transboundary horizontal and vertical dissemination. Reduced susceptibility to colistin occurred in 23 strains. Common clones included ST307, ST607, ST17, ST39 and ST3559. IncFIIk virulent plasmid replicon was present in 56 strains. Whole-genome sequencing of six strains revealed least 41 virulence genes, extensive ompK36 mutations, and four different K- and O-loci types: KL2, KL25, KL27, KL102, O1, O2, O4 and O5. Types I, II and III RMS, conferring m6A (G A TC, G A TGNNNNNNTTG, CA A NNNNNNCATC motifs) and m4C (C C WGG) modifications on chromosomes and plasmids, were found. The nature of plasmid-mediated, clonal and multi-clonal dissemination of blaOXA-48-like and blaNDM-1 mirrors epidemiological trends observed for closely related plasmids and sequence types internationally. Worryingly, the presence of both bla OXA-48 and bla NDM-1 in the same isolates was observed. Plasmid-mediated transmission of RMS, virulome and prophages influence bacterial evolution, epidemiology, pathogenicity and resistance, threatening infection treatment. The influence of RMS on antimicrobial and bacteriophage therapy needs urgent investigation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (39) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Martinez ◽  
Eric Williams ◽  
Heather Newkirk ◽  
Mei Liu ◽  
Jason J. Gill ◽  
...  

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a multidrug-resistant bacterium causing many severe hospital-acquired infections. Here, we describe siphophage Sweeny that infects K. pneumoniae. Of its 78 predicted protein-encoding genes, a functional assignment was given to 36 of them. Sweeny is most closely related to T1-like phages at the protein level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Olsson ◽  
Pikkei Wistrand-Yuen ◽  
Elisabet I. Nielsen ◽  
Lena E. Friberg ◽  
Linus Sandegren ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Antibiotic combination therapy is used for severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria, yet data regarding which combinations are most effective are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of polymyxin B in combination with 13 other antibiotics against four clinical strains of MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We evaluated the interactions of polymyxin B in combination with amikacin, aztreonam, cefepime, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, fosfomycin, linezolid, meropenem, minocycline, rifampin, temocillin, thiamphenicol, or trimethoprim by automated time-lapse microscopy using predefined cutoff values indicating inhibition of growth (≤106 CFU/ml) at 24 h. Promising combinations were subsequently evaluated in static time-kill experiments. All strains were intermediate or resistant to polymyxin B, antipseudomonal β-lactams, ciprofloxacin, and amikacin. Genes encoding β-lactamases (e.g., blaPAO and blaOXA-50) and mutations associated with permeability and efflux were detected in all strains. In the time-lapse microscopy experiments, positive interactions were found with 39 of 52 antibiotic combination/bacterial strain setups. Enhanced activity was found against all four strains with polymyxin B used in combination with aztreonam, cefepime, fosfomycin, minocycline, thiamphenicol, and trimethoprim. Time-kill experiments showed additive or synergistic activity with 27 of the 39 tested polymyxin B combinations, most frequently with aztreonam, cefepime, and meropenem. Positive interactions were frequently found with the tested combinations, against strains that harbored several resistance mechanisms to the single drugs, and with antibiotics that are normally not active against P. aeruginosa. Further study is needed to explore the clinical utility of these combinations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noushin Akhoundsadegh ◽  
Corrie R. Belanger ◽  
Robert E. W. Hancock

ABSTRACT Infections caused by drug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli are a severe global health threat, limiting effective drug choices for treatment. In this study, polymyxin analogs designed to have reduced nephrotoxicity, direct activity, and potentiating activity were assessed for inhibition and outer membrane interaction kinetics against wild-type (WT) and polymyxin or multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. In MIC assays, two polymyxin B (PMB) analogs (SPR1205 and SPR206) and a polymyxin E analog (SPR946), with shortened peptide side chains and branched aminobutyryl N termini, exhibited promising activity compared with PMB and previously tested control polymyxin analogs SPR741 and polymyxin B nonapeptide (PMBN). Using dansyl-polymyxin (DPX) binding to assess the affinity of interaction with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), purified or in the context of intact cells, SPR206 exhibited similar affinities to PMB but higher affinities than the other SPR analogs. Outer membrane permeabilization measured by the 1-N-phenyl-napthylamine (NPN) assay did not differ significantly between the polymyxin analogs. Moreover, Hill numbers were greater than 1 for most of the compounds tested on E. coli and P. aeruginosa strains which indicates that the disruption of the outer membrane by one molecule of compound cooperatively enhances the subsequent interactions of other molecules against WT and MDR strains. The high activity demonstrated by SPR206 as well as its ability to displace LPS and permeabilize the outer membrane of multiple strains of Gram-negative bacilli while showing cooperative potential with other membrane disrupting compounds supports further research with this polymyxin analog.


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