Cross-protection and cross-feeding between Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii promotes their co-existence

Lucie Semenec, Amy K. Cain, Catherine J. Dawson, Qi Liu, Hue Dinh, Hannah Lott, Anahit Penesyan, Ram Maharjan, Francesca L. Short, Karl A. Hassan () and Ian T. Paulsen ()
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Lucie Semenec: Macquarie University
Amy K. Cain: Macquarie University
Catherine J. Dawson: University of Newcastle
Qi Liu: Macquarie University
Hue Dinh: Macquarie University
Hannah Lott: Macquarie University
Anahit Penesyan: Macquarie University
Ram Maharjan: Macquarie University
Francesca L. Short: Monash University
Karl A. Hassan: Macquarie University
Ian T. Paulsen: Macquarie University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-18

Abstract: Abstract Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae are opportunistic pathogens frequently co-isolated from polymicrobial infections. The infections where these pathogens co-exist can be more severe and recalcitrant to therapy than infections caused by either species alone, however there is a lack of knowledge on their potential synergistic interactions. In this study we characterise the genomes of A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae strains co-isolated from a single human lung infection. We examine various aspects of their interactions through transcriptomic, phenomic and phenotypic assays that form a basis for understanding their effects on antimicrobial resistance and virulence during co-infection. Using co-culturing and analyses of secreted metabolites, we discover the ability of K. pneumoniae to cross-feed A. baumannii by-products of sugar fermentation. Minimum inhibitory concentration testing of mono- and co-cultures reveals the ability for A. baumannii to cross-protect K. pneumoniae against the cephalosporin, cefotaxime. Our study demonstrates distinct syntrophic interactions occur between A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae, helping to elucidate the basis for their co-existence in polymicrobial infections.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36252-2

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