Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying multiple alleles of antigen 43-encoding gene of Escherichia coli associated with biofilm formation

• Published in: European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 371 - 377
• Main Authors: Tambassi, Martina, Passarini, Elena, Menozzi, Ilaria, Berni, Melissa, Bracchi, Chiara, Dodi, Alessandra, Bolzoni, Luca, Scaltriti, Erika, Morganti, Marina, Ferrarini, Giulia, Sordi, Laura, Sarti, Mario, Ambretti, Simone, Pongolini, Stefano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-03-2023
• Subjects: Alleles; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antigens, Bacterial - genetics; Biofilms; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brief Report; Colistin; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli Proteins - genetics; Internal Medicine; Klebsiella pneumoniae - genetics; Medical Microbiology; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Plasmids - genetics; Biofilm; ST307; Antigen 43; Capsule; Colistin resistance; Mcr; Klebsiella pneumoniae
• ISSN: 0934-9723; 1435-4373
• DOI: 10.1007/s10096-023-04552-6

A clinical strain of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
typed as sequence type 307 carrying three different alleles of the
flu
gene encoding the
Escherichia coli
virulence factor antigen 43 associated with biofilm formation was detected and characterized. The
flu
alleles are located in the chromosome inside putative integrative conjugative elements. The strain displays the phenotypes associated with Ag43, i.e. bi-phasic colony morphology and enhanced biofilm production. Furthermore, the strain produces low amount of capsule known to affect Ag43 function. Analysis of 1431 worldwide deposited genomes revealed that 3.7%
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carry one or two
flu
alleles.