Project description:Infections associated with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria now represent a significant threat to human health using conventional therapy, necessitating the development of alternate and more effective antibacterial compounds. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been proposed as potential antimicrobial agents to combat infections. A complete understanding of their antimicrobial activity is required before these molecules can be used in therapy. Lysozyme coated Ag NPs were synthesized and characterized by TEMEDS, XRD, UV-vis, FTIR spectroscopy, zeta potential, and oxidative potential assay. Biochemical assays and deep level transcriptional analysis using RNA sequencing were used to decipher how Ag NPs exert their antibacterial action against multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae MGH78578. RNAseq data revealed that Ag NPs induced a triclosan-like bactericidal mechanism responsible for the inhibition of the type II fatty acid biosynthesis. Additionally, released AgC generated oxidative stress both extra and intracellularly in K. pneumoniae. The data showed that triclosan-like activity and oxidative stress cumulatively underpinned the antibacterial activity of Ag NPs. This result was confirmed by the analysis of the bactericidal effect of Ag NPs against the isogenic K. pneumoniae MGH78578 1soxS mutant, which exhibits a compromised oxidative stress response compared to the wild type. Silver nanoparticles induce a triclosan like antibacterial action mechanism in multi-drug resistant K. pneumoniae. This study extends our understanding of anti-Klebsiella mechanisms associated with exposure to Ag NPs. This allowed us to model how bacteria might develop resistance against silver nanoparticles, should the latter be used in therapy.
Project description:Klebsiella pneumoniae is an antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with severe infections, which has led to the search for new antimicrobial drugs to face these infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are antimicrobials that exert anti-K. pneumoniae activity. Consequently, AMPs have been explored as a therapeutic option. However, similarly to other antimicrobials, K. pneumoniae can develop resistance against AMPs, although it is less frequent. Therefore, understanding the resistance mechanisms developed by K. pneumoniae against AMPs could aid in the design and development of more effective AMPs. This study aimed to identify via a label-free quantitative proteomic approach the resistance mechanisms involved in the resistance response of K. pneumoniae against the AMP PaDBS1R1.
Project description:Sulfonamides are traditional synthetic antimicrobial agents used in clinical and veterinary medical settings. Their long-term excessive overuse has resulted in widespread microbial resistance, limiting their application for medical interventions. Resistance to sulfonamides is primarily conferred by the alternative genes sul1, sul2, and sul3 encoding dihydropteroate synthase in bacteria. Studying the potential fitness cost of these sul genes is crucial for understanding the evolution and transmission of sulfonamide-resistant bacteria. In vitro studies have been conducted on the fitness cost of sul genes in bacteria. In this study, we provide critical insights into bacterial adaptation and transmission using an in vivo approach.
Project description:With the global increase in the use of carbapenems, several gram-negative bacteria have acquired carbapenem resistance, thereby limiting treatment options. Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of such notorious pathogen that is being widely studied to find novel resistance mechanisms and drug targets. These antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates generally harbor many genetic alterations, and identification of causal mutations will provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. We propose a method to prioritize mutated genes responsible for antibiotic resistance, in which mutated genes that also show significant expression changes among their functionally coupled genes become more likely candidates. For network-based analyses, we developed a genome-scale co-functional network of K. pneumoniae genes, KlebNet (www.inetbio.org/klebnet). Using KlebNet, we could reconstruct functional modules for antibiotic-resistance, and virulence, and retrieved functional association between them. With complementation assays with top candidate genes, we could validate a gene for negative regulation of meropenem resistance and four genes for positive regulation of virulence in Galleria mellonella larvae. Therefore, our study demonstrated the feasibility of network-based identification of genes required for antimicrobial resistance and virulence of human pathogenic bacteria with genomic and transcriptomic profiles from antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates.
Project description:In vivo evolution of high-level cefiderocol resistance of NDM-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae under antibiotic treatment, followed by intra-hospital cross-transmission
Project description:Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important pathogen commonly associated with opportunistic infections. Here we report the genome sequence of a strain, HS11286, isolated from human sputum in 2011 in Shanghai, China. It contains one chromosome (5.3 Mb), three multidrug resistance plasmids (∼110 kb), including a carbapenemase producer, and three small plasmids (∼3 kb).
Project description:The emergence and spread of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KPN) infections have worsened the current situation worldwide. Clinically, cotrimoxazole (CTX) and amikacin (AMI) are considered to be the preferred drugs in the treatment of (CR-KPN). But for now, the extensive use of cotrimoxazole (CTX) and amikacin (AMI) During the course of treatment leads to the emergence of cotrimoxazole- and amikacin-resistant infections, which is of great clinical concern. Previous evidence has shown that bacteria with reduced metabolism tend to be resistant to antibiotics, however, the mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, proteomics was performed on the sensitive, cotrimoxazole-resistant, amikacin-resistant and cotrimoxazole/amikacin-both-resistant KPN clinical isolates, and 2266 proteins were identified in total by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis. Further bioinformatic analysis showed down-regulation of tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway and up-regulation of alcohol metabolic or glutathione metabolism processes, which may contribute to ROS clearance and cell survival, in drug-resistant isolates. Finally, combined with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Amikacin and Cotrimoxazole on different KPN isolates, we identified nine proteins contributed mostly to such an alteration and the survival of bacteria under drug pressure, which could reveal novel mechanisms or pathways involved in drug resistance. These proteins and their pathways might be used as targets for the development of novel therapeutics against antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections.
Project description:Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, nonmotile, and opportunistic pathogenic species with clinical importance. It is a part of natural flora of humans and animals. Here we report the draft genome sequence of the type strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae (DSM 30104(T)) to provide taxonomic and functional insights into the species.