Characterization of a multidrug-resistant hypovirulent ST1859-KL35 klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae strain co-harboring tmexCD2-toprJ2 and blaKPC-2

Abstract

Objectives

The rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae is a significant public health threat. Klebsiella quasipneumoniae is often misidentified as K. pneumoniae, and its genetic and virulence traits remain underexplored. This study characterizes the genomic and phenotypic features of a K. quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae strain (KP24).

Methods

Antibiotic susceptibility was tested using microbroth dilution assay. Virulence was evaluated through serum killing assay and Galleria mellonella infection model. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and bioinformatics analysis determined sequence typing, resistance profiles, and plasmid types. Conjugation assays assessed plasmid transferability, while phylogenetic analysis explored genetic relationships.

Results

KP24 exhibited an MDR phenotype, including resistance to carbapenems, ceftazidime/avibactam, and tigecycline. KP24 showed significantly higher serum survival and G. mellonella lethality than ATCC700603, though it was less virulent than the hypervirulent strain NUTH-K2044. WGS identified KP24 as ST1859 and KL35, harboring the aerobactin virulence gene cluster (iucABCDiutA) and multiple resistance genes, including tmexCD2-toprJ2, bla_KPC-2, bla_OXA-10, bla_IMP-4, and qnrS1. Notably, the tmexCD2-toprJ2 and bla_KPC-2 genes were located on the same plasmid (pKP24–1), an uncommon co-existence. Conjugation assays confirmed the independent transferability of pKP24–1 to Escherichia coli J53. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ST1859 forms a distinct monoclade with low genetic diversity, closely related to ST334, suggesting regional expansion and potential global dissemination.

Conclusions

KP24 represents a hypovirulent yet multidrug-resistant strain of K. quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae, with a concerning combination of virulence and resistance determinants. The co-location of tmexCD2-toprJ2 and bla_KPC-2 on a transferable plasmid highlights the potential for horizontal gene transfer of critical resistance mechanisms.