Klebsiella pneumoniae FimK Promotes Virulence in Murine Pneumonia

Klebsiella pneumoniae, a chief cause of nosocomial pneumonia, is a versatile and commonly multidrug-resistant human pathogen for which further insight into pathogenesis is needed. We show that the pilus regulatory gene fimK promotes the virulence of K. pneumoniae strain TOP52 in murine pneumonia. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 2016-02, Vol.213 (4), p.649-658
Main Authors: Rosen, David A., Hilliard, Julia K., Tiemann, Kristin M., Todd, Elizabeth M., Morley, S. Celeste, Hunstad, David A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bacterial Capsules - immunology
Bacterial Capsules - metabolism
Bacterial Load
Disease Models, Animal
Female
Gene Deletion
Humans
Immunity, Innate
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Klebsiella pneumoniae - genetics
Klebsiella pneumoniae - growth & development
Klebsiella pneumoniae - immunology
Lung - microbiology
Major and Brief Reports
Mice, Inbred C57BL
PATHOGENESIS AND HOST RESPONSE
Phagocytosis
Pneumonia, Bacterial - immunology
Pneumonia, Bacterial - microbiology
Survival Analysis
Virulence
Virulence Factors - genetics
Virulence Factors - metabolism
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Summary:Klebsiella pneumoniae, a chief cause of nosocomial pneumonia, is a versatile and commonly multidrug-resistant human pathogen for which further insight into pathogenesis is needed. We show that the pilus regulatory gene fimK promotes the virulence of K. pneumoniae strain TOP52 in murine pneumonia. This contrasts with the attenuating effect of fimK on urinary tract virulence, illustrating that a single factor may exert opposing effects on pathogenesis in distinct host niches. Loss of fimK in TOP52 pneumonia was associated with diminished lung bacterial burden, limited innate responses within the lung, and improved host survival. FimK expression was shown to promote serum resistance, capsule production, and protection from phagocytosis by host immune cells. Finally, while the widely used K. pneumoniae model strain 43816 produces rapid dissemination and death in mice, TOP52 caused largely localized pneumonia with limited lethality, thereby providing an alternative tool for studying K. pneumoniae pathogenesis and control within the lung.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/jiv440