TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic and Functional Characterization of a Conjugative KpVP-2-Type Virulence Plasmid From a Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae Strain
AU - Yang, Xuemei
AU - Liu, Xiaoxuan
AU - Xu, Yating
AU - Yang, Chen
AU - Chan, Edward Wai Chi
AU - Shum, Hoi Ping
AU - Chen, Sheng
N1 - Funding Information:
The research was supported by Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research (2020B0301030005) and the NSFC/RGC grant (NSFC-RGC, N_PolyU521/18) from the National Natural Science Fund in China and the Research Grant Council of the Government of Hong Kong SAR.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Yang, Liu, Xu, Yang, Chan, Shum and Chen.
PY - 2022/7/22
Y1 - 2022/7/22
N2 - The main mechanism of virulence in Klebsiella pneumoniae is the acquisition of K. pneumoniae virulence plasmids (KpVPs), which include two dominant types, namely, KpVP-1 (carrying iuc1, iro1, rmpA, and rmpA2) and KpVP-2 (carrying iuc2, iro2, and rmpA). Both are non-conjugative and associated with different hypervirulent clones. In contrast to KpVP-1 reported in K1, K2, and other serotypes of K. pneumoniae, KpVP-2 was only reported in K2 strains and rarely characterized. In this study, we identified a conjugative KpVP-2-type virulence plasmid from a clinical hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strain. This plasmid was generated by the integration of conjugative transfer genes into the KpVP-2-type plasmid Kp52.145 II and could be readily conjugated to Escherichia coli strain EC600 and K. pneumoniae strains of various types which are clinically existing, mediating hypervirulence. Furthermore, this kind of conjugative KpVP-2-type virulence plasmid has been disseminated in clinical settings in Hong Kong and other regions of the world. The generation of conjugative virulence plasmid may promote its transmission and explain the evolution of this type of virulence plasmid.
AB - The main mechanism of virulence in Klebsiella pneumoniae is the acquisition of K. pneumoniae virulence plasmids (KpVPs), which include two dominant types, namely, KpVP-1 (carrying iuc1, iro1, rmpA, and rmpA2) and KpVP-2 (carrying iuc2, iro2, and rmpA). Both are non-conjugative and associated with different hypervirulent clones. In contrast to KpVP-1 reported in K1, K2, and other serotypes of K. pneumoniae, KpVP-2 was only reported in K2 strains and rarely characterized. In this study, we identified a conjugative KpVP-2-type virulence plasmid from a clinical hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strain. This plasmid was generated by the integration of conjugative transfer genes into the KpVP-2-type plasmid Kp52.145 II and could be readily conjugated to Escherichia coli strain EC600 and K. pneumoniae strains of various types which are clinically existing, mediating hypervirulence. Furthermore, this kind of conjugative KpVP-2-type virulence plasmid has been disseminated in clinical settings in Hong Kong and other regions of the world. The generation of conjugative virulence plasmid may promote its transmission and explain the evolution of this type of virulence plasmid.
KW - conjugative plasmid
KW - Klebsiella pneumoniae
KW - Klebsiella pneumoniae virulence plasmids type 2 (KpVP-2)
KW - mobile genetic element
KW - virulence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135494416&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fmicb.2022.914884
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2022.914884
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85135494416
SN - 1664-302X
VL - 13
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
JF - Frontiers in Microbiology
M1 - 914884
ER -