Study of the contribution of polyamine biosynthesis and transport pathways to the pathogenicity of Klebsiella pneumoniae

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium and considered an opportunistic pathogen. This bacterium has become a global public health problem in recent years due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant and hypervirulent clinical isolates. Polyamines are essential nutrients for cell metabolism, and in many bacteria they are involved in several aspects of pathogenicity, such as biofilm formation, evasion of phagocytosis, toxin production, and resistance to acid and oxidative stress. However, the role of polyamines in the pathogenicity of Klebsiella pneumoniae is still poorly understood. This study aims to generate a strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae mutant for polyamines biosynthesis and, then, characterize the mutant strain by means of coculture cellular assays with host eukaryotic cells and in vivo pulmonary infection in animal models. This project also aims to evaluate the potential of PotD polyamine receptor as a vaccine candidate. The present study intends to reach a better understanding of the metabolism of polyamines in Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the role that these molecules play in the pathogenicity of this bacterium. (AU)