Identification of Potential Pathogenicity Factors of Klebsiella pneumoniae

• Grant number: 25/17171-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: January 01, 2026
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Brocchi
• Grantee: Taís Paulino Ferreira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10577-0 - Biology of Bacteria and Bacteriophages Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae are a significant concern in hospital settings, causing numerous infections in immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, K. pneumoniae can acquire antibiotic resistance, often becoming multidrug-resistant, due to the dissemination of plasmid-encoded resistance genes. Despite advances in the study of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae and its various resistance mechanisms, the precise nature of infections caused by this species remains unclear. Driven by clinical concerns about K. pneumoniae, several studies have been conducted, including one initiated by our research group. Genes with potential association to the pathogenicity of this bacterium were identified. However, further investigation is required to analyse each gene individually and determine its role in the infection process. Therefore, the objective of the present work is to analyse three genes previously potentially identified as encoding pathogenic factors. This will be accomplished by the construction of mutant strains and assays the virulence in the Galleria mellonella model, alongside gene expression analysis. This will allow us to determine the true importance of these genes in the pathogenicity of K. pneumoniae, providing a deeper molecular understanding of the transition from colonization to infection in its strains. (AU)