A Virulence Associated Siderophore Importer Reduces Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumoniae

Frontiers in Microbiology

Marco R. Oggioni¹  Robeena Farzand²  Helen M. O’Hare³  Kumar Rajakumar⁴  Primrose P. E. Freestone⁴  Michael R. Barer⁴  Galina V. Mukamolova⁴ 

[1] Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom;Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan;Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom;Leicester Microbial Sciences and Infectious Diseases Network, Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom;

关键词: Klebsiella pneumoniae;    yersiniabactin;    ABC transporter;    antimicrobial efflux;    siderophore;    mobile genetic element;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmicb.2021.607512

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The accessory genomes of many pathogenic bacteria include ABC transporters that scavenge metal by siderophore uptake and ABC transporters that contribute to antimicrobial resistance by multidrug efflux. There are mechanistic and recently recognized structural similarities between siderophore importer proteins and efflux pumps. Here we investigated the influence of siderophore importer YbtPQ on antimicrobial resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae. YbtPQ is encoded in the yersiniabactin cluster in a prevalent mobile genetic element ICEKp, and is also common in pathogenicity islands of Escherichia coli and Yersinia species, where yersiniabactin enhances virulence. Deletion of ICEKp increased the susceptibility of K. pneumoniae to all antimicrobials tested. The mechanism was dependent on the yersiniabactin importer YbtPQ and may involve antimicrobial efflux, since it was affected by the inhibitor reserpine. The element ICEKp is naturally highly mobile, indeed the accessory genome of K. pneumoniae is recognized as a reservoir of genes for the emergence of hospital outbreak strains and for transfer to other Gram-negative pathogens. Introduction of ICEKp, or a plasmid encoding YbtPQ, to E. coli decreased its susceptibility to a broad range of antimicrobials. Thus a confirmed siderophore importer, on a rapidly evolving and highly mobile element capable of interspecies transfer, may have a secondary function exporting antimicrobials.

【 授权许可】

Unknown