Functional Insights From KpfR, a New Transcriptional Regulator of Fimbrial Expression That Is Crucial for Klebsiella pneumoniae Pathogenicity.

摘要: Although originally known as an opportunistic pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae has been considered a worldwide health threat nowadays due to the emergence of hypervirulent and antibiotic-resistant strains capable causing severe infections not only on immunocompromised patients but also healthy individuals. Fimbriae is essential virulence factor for K. pneumoniae, especially in urinary tract (UTIs), because it allows pathogen adhere invade urothelial cells form biofilms biotic abiotic surfaces. The importance fimbriae pathogenicity highlighted by large number fimbrial gene clusters bacterium genome, which requires coordinated finely adjusted system control synthesis these structures. In this work, we describe KpfR new transcriptional repressor expression discuss its role pathogenicity. with disrupted kpfR exhibited hyperfimbriated phenotype enhanced biofilm formation greater adhesion replication within epithelial host cells. Nonetheless, mutant strain was attenuated colonization bladder murine model infection. These results indicate that important that, negatively controlling fimbriae, prevents from having being recognized eliminated immune system.