Distinct epigenetic signatures of classical and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) is a more virulent and rapidly evolving hypermucoviscous pathotype of classical K. pneumoniae (cKp). The hypervirulent pathotype is a major public health concern and is associated with high infection rates in community as well as hospital settings. With the recent emergence of multidrug resistant hvKp, it has become imperative to investigative non-classical mechanisms such as epigenetics in addition to canonical biochemical and genetic mechanisms which delineate and differentiate the hypervirulent pathotype from its classical counterpart. Here, we identify genome-wide differences in adenine and cytosine methylation marks at well characterized motifs between the two pathotypes. Overall, significantly higher levels of methylation were observed across chromosomal DNA and extrachromosomal elements in hvKp compared to cKp. Among hvKp isolates, the genes associated with virulence are particularly enriched for methylation marks. Our findings shed light on how epigenetic signatures may help distinguish the pathogenic potential of bacteria.