No abstract available.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Klebsiella Infections/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/*enzymology/isolation & purification ; Pneumonia/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Turkey ; beta-Lactamases/*metabolism

Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Inflammation ; metabolism ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex ; metabolism ; Ubiquitin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo construct the KbvR gene of LuxR family deletion mutant and complementation strains from Klebsiella pneumoniae NTUH-K2044 and analyze the effect of KbvR on bacterial growth, biofilm formation and capsular synthesis.

METHODSA KbvR gene deletion mutant strain was constructed using the suicide vector pKO3-Km, and the gene fragment including KbvR coding region, promoter area and transcription termination area were amplified and cloned into pGEM-T-easy plasmid to construct KbvR complementation strain. The growth curves of the wild-type strain, KbvR gene deletion mutant strain and complementation strain were observed to assess the effect of KbvR on bacterial growth. Crystal violet staining method was used to measure the effect of KbvR on biofilm formation; the effect of KbvR on capsular synthesis was detected using string test, centrifugal test and RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe KbvR deletion mutant and complementation strains were constructed successfully. KbvR gene did not affect the growth of the bacteria, but biofilm formation and capsular synthesis were attenuated in KbvR deletion mutant strain.

CONCLUSIONAs a transcription factor of the LuxR family orphans of the quorum sensing system, KbvR positively regulates bacterial biofilm formation by affecting capsular synthesis.

Bacterial Capsules ; Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Biofilms ; Gene Deletion ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; cytology ; Plasmids ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

1,3-propanediol is an important chemical used as building block for the synthesis of highly promising polyesters such as polytrimethylene terephthalate. A genetically modified Klebsiella pneumoniae LDH526 can use glycerol as sole carbon source and produce 1,3-propanediol with the titer above 90 g/L. A key factor affecting the production of 1,3-propanediol by the mutant K. pneumoniae is the accurate control of the feeding of glycerol. To generate a robust and reproducible fermentation process of 1,3-propanediol, we designed and optimized an automatically feeding strategy of glycerol based on fermentation kinetics. By coupling the substrate feeding rate with easily observed variables -pH and fermentation time, we have achieved self-starting glycerol feeding and dynamic control of the glycerol concentration during the fermentation process. This automated system allowed us to generate a reproducible, consistent and operator-independent process from lab-scale to production scale. The final concentration of 1,3-propanediol was above 95 g/L after 72 h.
Culture Media ; Fermentation ; Glycerol ; Industrial Microbiology ; methods ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; growth & development ; Propylene Glycol ; Propylene Glycols ; metabolism

In recent years, there have been increasing reports of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Korea. The modified Hodge test can be used as a phenotypic screening test for class A carbapenamase (CAC)-producing clinical isolates; however, it does not distinguish between carbapenemase types. The confirmation of type of CAC is important to ensure optimal therapy and to prevent transmission. This study applied a novel multiplex PCR assay to detect and differentiate CAC genes in a single reaction. Four primer pairs were designed to amplify fragments encoding 4 CAC families (SME, IMI/NMC-A, KPC, and GES). The multiplex PCR detected all genes tested for 4 CAC families that could be differentiated by fragment size according to gene type. This multiplex PCR offers a simple and useful approach for detecting and distinguishing CAC genes in carbapenem-resistant strains that are metallo-beta-lactamase nonproducers.
Bacterial Proteins/*genetics/metabolism ; DNA Primers/metabolism ; Databases, Genetic ; Humans ; Klebsiella Infections/microbiology ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/genetics/isolation & purification/metabolism ; *Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; beta-Lactamases/*genetics/metabolism

1,3-propanediol production with the byproduct of biodiesel production is important to increase the economic benefit of biodiesel industry. Accumulation of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde is one of the key problems in the 1,3-propanediol fermentation process, leading to the cell death and the fermentation abnormal ceasing. Different from the traditional way of reducing the accumulation of the 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde, we introduced the polyhydroxybutyrate pathway into the Klebsiella pneumoniae for the first time to enhance the tolerance of K. pneumoniae to 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde, at the same time, to improve the 1,3-propanediol production. Plasmid pDK containing phbC, phbA, phbB gene was constructed and transformed into K. pneumoniae successfully. PHB was detected in the engineered K. pneumoniae after IPTG induction and its content enhanced with the IPTG concentration increasing. The optimized IPTG concentration was 0.5 mmol/L. The constructed K. pneumoniae could produce 1,3-propanediol normally, at the same time accumulate polyhydroxybutyrate. With the constructed strain, the fermentation proceeds normally with the initial glucose was 70 g/L which the wild type strain stopped growing and the fermentation was ceasing; 1,3-propanediol concentration and yield reached 31.3 g/L and 43.9% at 72 h. Our work is helpful for the deep understanding of 1,3-propanediol metabolic mechanism of Klebsiella pneumoniae, and also provides a new way for strain optimization of Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Hydroxybutyrates ; metabolism ; Industrial Microbiology ; methods ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polymers ; metabolism ; Propylene Glycols ; metabolism

Five Klebsiella pneumonia strains (including two strains whose genes for lactic acid were knocked out) were used to produce 2,3-butanediol, in which K. pneumonia HR521 LDH (gene for lactic acid was knocked out) was the best for the production, and then the fermentation medium was optimized by orthogonal design. The optimum compositions were as follows: glucose 90 g/L, (NH4)2HPO4 3 g/L, CLSP 6 g/L, sodium acetate 5 g/L, KCl 0.4 g/L, MgSO4 0.1 g/L, FeSO4 x 7H2O 0.02 g/L, MnSO4 0.01 g/L. Under the above conditions, final concentration of acetone and 2,3-butanediol could reach 37.46 g/L, 10 g/L higher than that under the initial conditions, the yield was 90.53% of the theory, and the productivity was 1.5 g/(L-h), and no lactic acid was detected, which could be benefit for the downstream processing and industrial application.
Butylene Glycols ; metabolism ; Culture Media ; chemistry ; Fermentation ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; classification ; genetics ; growth & development ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDCarbapenems are used to treat severe infections caused by multi-drug-resistant organisms, however, the emergence of carbapenem-resistant bacterial isolates is becoming an increasing therapeutic challenge. Since the first Klebsiella (K.) pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae was reported in 2001, KPC-producing isolates have been found increasingly, specially in Enterobacteriaceae. The aim of this study was to characterize the mechanisms of a carbapenem-resistant Proteus (P.) mirabilis.

METHODSA carbapenem-resistant P. mirabilis isolate was recovered from pleural drainage fluid of a patient admitted to surgical intensive care unit. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolate was performed by disk diffusion according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, and subsequent minimal inhibitory concentrations were determined with the E-test. Amplification of the bla(KPC) gene generated a positive band and the PCR products were sequenced subsequently. The plasmid of the isolate was extracted and was successfully transformed into Escherichia (E.) coli DH5α.

RESULTSThe P. mirabilis isolate was resistant to all detected antimicrobial agents except tigecycline. KPC-2 was confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. The transformant E. coli was resistant to carbapenems. Further study demonstrated that upstream and downstream regions of bla(KPC-2) were identical to that observed in K. pneumoniae submitted to GenBank from China in 2007.

CONCLUSIONCarbapenem resistance in the P. mirabilis isolate in this study is mainly due to production of KPC-2.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; China ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; enzymology ; Proteus mirabilis ; drug effects ; enzymology ; beta-Lactamases ; metabolism

2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) is a major byproduct of 1,3-propandediol (1,3-PDO) fermentation by Klebsiella pneumoniae. To decrease the formation of 2,3-BD, the budC and budA gene, coding two key enzymes of 2,3-BD synthetic pathway in K. pneumoniae, were knocked out using Red recombination technology. The growth of the two mutants were suppressed in different level. The budC deficient strain fermentation results showed that 1,3-PDO concentration increased to 110% and 2,3-butanediol concentration dropped to 70% of the parent strain. However, the budA deficient strain did not produce 1,3-PDO and 2,3-BD, and the final titer of lactic acid, succinic acid, ethanol and acetic acid increased remarkably compared with the parent strain. Further analysis of budC deficient strain fermentation inferred that K. pneumoniae possessed the 2,3-BD cycle as a replenishment pathway. The consequence provided a new evidence for reforming low-byproduct K. pneumoniae.
Acetolactate Synthase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; Butylene Glycols ; metabolism ; Carboxy-Lyases ; genetics ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Glycerol ; metabolism ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mutation ; Propylene Glycols ; metabolism

The kinetic mechanisms of two key enzymes in the biotransformation of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) by Klebsiella pneumoniae, glycerol dehydrogenase (GDH) and 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase (PDOR), was characterized. Kinetics on initial velocity and product inhibition revealed that GDH and PDOR follow an ordered Bi-Bi sequential mechanism. Kinetic models for GDH and PDOR showed that the oxidation reaction catalyzed by GDH was the rate-limiting step in coupled enzymatic reaction when the GDH/PDOR was 1:1, and the NAD+ was the main form of coenzyme in the reaction. Knowledge about the kinetic mechanisms will be helpful to understand how these enzymes is regulated, which will be useful for further enzyme catalysis and metabolic engineering studies.
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Glycerol ; metabolism ; Kinetics ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; enzymology ; Models, Theoretical ; Propylene Glycols ; metabolism ; Substrate Specificity ; Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases ; metabolism