title: Virulence and Genomic Feature of a VirulentKlebsiella pneumoniaeSequence Type 14 Strain of Serotype K2 HarboringblaNDM-5in China.
abstract: The objective of this study was to reveal the molecular mechanism involved in carbapenem resistance and virulence of a K2Klebsiella pneumoniaeclinical isolate 24835. The virulence of the strain was determined byin vitroandin vivomethods. Thede novowhole-genome sequencing technology and molecular biology methods were used to analyze the genomic features associated with the carbapenem resistance and virulence ofK. pneumoniae24835. Strain 24835 was highly resistant to carbapenems and belonged to ST14, exhibited hypermucoviscous and unique K2-aerobactin-kfu-rmpA positive phenotype. As the only carbapenemase gene in strain 24835,blaNDM-5was located on a 46-kb IncX3 self-transmissible plasmid, which is a very close relation of pNDM-MGR194 from India. Genetic context ofblaNDM-5in strain 24835 was closely related to those on IncX3 plasmids in various Enterobacteriaceae species in China. The combination of multiple virulence genes may work together to confer the relative higher virulence inK. pneumoniae24835. Significantly increased resistance to serum killing and mice mortality were found in the virulent New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producingK. pneumoniaestrain compared to the other NDM-producingK. pneumoniaestrain. Our study provides basic information of phenotypic and genomic features ofK. pneumoniae24835, a strain displaying carbapenem resistance and relatively high level of virulence. These findings are concerning for the potential of NDM-like genes to disseminate among virulentK. pneumoniaeisolates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Pan-Pan
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: La-Gen
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Lian-Hui
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Dan-Dan
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
authors.forename: Xian-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Cao
keywords: K. pneumoniae; carbapenemase; metallo-β-lactamases; serotype; virulence factor