Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting a phenotypic hyper-splitting phenomenon including the formation of small colony variants
In this study, we characterized a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain in a patient with shrapnel hip injury, which resulted in multiple phenotypic changes, including the formation of a small colony variant (SCV) phenotype. Although already described since the 1960s, there is little knowledge about SCV phen...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2024.1372704/full |
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| author | Eyüp Doğan Katharina Sydow Stefan E. Heiden Elias Eger Georgi Wassilew Richard A. Proctor Jürgen A. Bohnert Evgeny A. Idelevich Evgeny A. Idelevich Katharina Schaufler Katharina Schaufler Karsten Becker |
| author_facet | Eyüp Doğan Katharina Sydow Stefan E. Heiden Elias Eger Georgi Wassilew Richard A. Proctor Jürgen A. Bohnert Evgeny A. Idelevich Evgeny A. Idelevich Katharina Schaufler Katharina Schaufler Karsten Becker |
| author_sort | Eyüp Doğan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this study, we characterized a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain in a patient with shrapnel hip injury, which resulted in multiple phenotypic changes, including the formation of a small colony variant (SCV) phenotype. Although already described since the 1960s, there is little knowledge about SCV phenotypes in Enterobacteriaceae. The formation of SCVs has been recognized as a bacterial strategy to evade host immune responses and compromise the efficacy of antimicrobial therapies, leading to persistent and recurrent courses of infections. In this case, 14 isolates with different resisto- and morpho-types were distinguished from the patient’s urine and tissue samples. Whole genome sequencing revealed that all isolates were clonally identical belonging to the K. pneumoniae high-risk sequence type 147. Subculturing the SCV colonies consistently resulted in the reappearance of the initial SCV phenotype and three stable normal-sized phenotypes with distinct morphological characteristics. Additionally, an increase in resistance was observed over time in isolates that shared the same colony appearance. Our findings highlight the complexity of bacterial behavior by revealing a case of phenotypic “hyper-splitting” in a K. pneumoniae SCV and its potential clinical significance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:48:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-16d8bc3d068b442eaa3750355e1d15c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2235-2988 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:48:10Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-16d8bc3d068b442eaa3750355e1d15c92024-03-27T04:38:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology2235-29882024-03-011410.3389/fcimb.2024.13727041372704Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting a phenotypic hyper-splitting phenomenon including the formation of small colony variantsEyüp Doğan0Katharina Sydow1Stefan E. Heiden2Elias Eger3Georgi Wassilew4Richard A. Proctor5Jürgen A. Bohnert6Evgeny A. Idelevich7Evgeny A. Idelevich8Katharina Schaufler9Katharina Schaufler10Karsten Becker11Friedrich Loeffler-Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyDepartment of Epidemiology and Ecology of Antimicrobial Resistance, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Greifswald, GermanyDepartment of Epidemiology and Ecology of Antimicrobial Resistance, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Greifswald, GermanyDepartment of Epidemiology and Ecology of Antimicrobial Resistance, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Greifswald, GermanyCenter for Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyDepartments of Medical Microbiology/Immunology and Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United StatesFriedrich Loeffler-Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyFriedrich Loeffler-Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyInstitute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, GermanyDepartment of Epidemiology and Ecology of Antimicrobial Resistance, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Greifswald, GermanyUniversity Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyFriedrich Loeffler-Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyIn this study, we characterized a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain in a patient with shrapnel hip injury, which resulted in multiple phenotypic changes, including the formation of a small colony variant (SCV) phenotype. Although already described since the 1960s, there is little knowledge about SCV phenotypes in Enterobacteriaceae. The formation of SCVs has been recognized as a bacterial strategy to evade host immune responses and compromise the efficacy of antimicrobial therapies, leading to persistent and recurrent courses of infections. In this case, 14 isolates with different resisto- and morpho-types were distinguished from the patient’s urine and tissue samples. Whole genome sequencing revealed that all isolates were clonally identical belonging to the K. pneumoniae high-risk sequence type 147. Subculturing the SCV colonies consistently resulted in the reappearance of the initial SCV phenotype and three stable normal-sized phenotypes with distinct morphological characteristics. Additionally, an increase in resistance was observed over time in isolates that shared the same colony appearance. Our findings highlight the complexity of bacterial behavior by revealing a case of phenotypic “hyper-splitting” in a K. pneumoniae SCV and its potential clinical significance.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2024.1372704/fullKlebsiella pneumoniaehyper-splittingsmall colony varianthypervirulencemultidrug resistancein-host evolution |
| spellingShingle | Eyüp Doğan Katharina Sydow Stefan E. Heiden Elias Eger Georgi Wassilew Richard A. Proctor Jürgen A. Bohnert Evgeny A. Idelevich Evgeny A. Idelevich Katharina Schaufler Katharina Schaufler Karsten Becker Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting a phenotypic hyper-splitting phenomenon including the formation of small colony variants Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology Klebsiella pneumoniae hyper-splitting small colony variant hypervirulence multidrug resistance in-host evolution |
| title | Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting a phenotypic hyper-splitting phenomenon including the formation of small colony variants |
| title_full | Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting a phenotypic hyper-splitting phenomenon including the formation of small colony variants |
| title_fullStr | Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting a phenotypic hyper-splitting phenomenon including the formation of small colony variants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting a phenotypic hyper-splitting phenomenon including the formation of small colony variants |
| title_short | Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting a phenotypic hyper-splitting phenomenon including the formation of small colony variants |
| title_sort | klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting a phenotypic hyper splitting phenomenon including the formation of small colony variants |
| topic | Klebsiella pneumoniae hyper-splitting small colony variant hypervirulence multidrug resistance in-host evolution |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2024.1372704/full |
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