The Capsule Increases Susceptibility to Last-Resort Polymyxins, but Not to Other Antibiotics, in Klebsiella pneumoniae
Francesca D’Angelo, Eduardo P. C. Rocha, Olaya Rendueles
Abstract
The extracellular capsule is a virulence factor present in many facultative pathogens, but its role in antimicrobial resistance remains controversial. To shed light on this debate, we tested six antibiotics on four Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex strains. Noncapsulated strains exhibited increased tolerance to polymyxins, but not to other antibiotics, as measured using the MIC. Our results urge caution on the use of therapeutic agents that target the capsule and may result in selection for its inactivation.
Topics & Concepts
Klebsiella pneumoniaePolymyxinAntibioticsMicrobiologyBiologyAntimicrobialCapsulePolymyxin BAntibiotic resistanceVirulenceFacultativeKlebsiellaColistinKlebsiella pneumoniaBacteriaPseudomonas aeruginosaEscherichia coliGeneBiochemistryGeneticsBotanyAntibiotic Resistance in BacteriaAntibiotics Pharmacokinetics and EfficacyBacterial biofilms and quorum sensing