AUTHOR=Yang Xuemei , Dong Ning , Liu Xiaoxuan , Yang Chen , Ye Lianwei , Chan Edward Wai-Chi , Zhang Rong , Chen Sheng 

TITLE=Co-conjugation of Virulence Plasmid and KPC Plasmid in a Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae Strain

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.739461

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.739461

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent <italic>Klebsiella pneumoniae</italic> (CR-HvKP) strains have been increasingly reported, and it is important to understand the evolutionary mechanisms of these highly pathogenic and resistant bacterial pathogens. In this study, we characterized a ST11 carbapenem-resistant <italic>K. pneumoniae</italic> strain which harbored an IncFIB/IncHI1B type virulence plasmid and an IncFII/IncR type <italic>bla</italic><sub><italic>KPC</italic></sub><sub>–</sub><sub>2</sub>-bearing plasmid. The virulence plasmid was found to be conjugative and harbored a 35-kbp fragment including aerobactin encoding cluster from virulence plasmid pLVPK and multiple resistance genes, resulting in a mosaic multi-drug resistance and virulence plasmid. This virulence plasmid could be transferred via conjugation to <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> and <italic>K. pneumoniae</italic> strains alone as well as together with the <italic>bla</italic><sub><italic>KPC</italic></sub><sub>–</sub><sub>2</sub>-bearing plasmid. Co-transmission of virulence and <italic>bla</italic><sub><italic>KPC</italic></sub><sub>–</sub><sub>2</sub>-bearing plasmids would directly convert a classic <italic>K. pneumoniae</italic> strain into CR-HvKP strain, leading to a sharp increase in the prevalence of CR-HvKP in clinical settings, which poses a great threat to human health.</p>