The opportunistic pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae, is responsible for a significant number of pulmonary infections in compromised individuals. The ubiquity of antibiotic resistant strains, particularly those producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, presents a serious clinical problem among groups such as hospitalized individuals and chronic alcoholics. The pathogenesis of Klebsiella airway infections has not been studied to any great extent and the investigation of the production of virulence determinants has essentially focused upon the role of capsules as antiphagocytic factors. The mouse has been extensively used as a model of airway infections due to K. pneumoniae primarily to investigate host cell responses. Also, epidemiologic observations suggest that specific capsular serotypes (e.g. K2) are most frequently associated with pulmonary infections. However, our preliminary data indicate that not all K2-positive isolates are virulent in the mouse model of infection. Therefore, although the capsule is most likely to be an antiphagocytic factor and prevent efficient killing of the bacteria in vivo, additional factors are necessary to establish airway infections with subsequent invasion of the bloodstream. We propose to identify and confirm the role of previously unknown virulence factors that mediate airway infections due to K. pneumoniae. Three techniques; signature-tagged mutagenesis, subtractive hybridization and in vivo gene expression technology will identify these determinants. The murine model of Klebsiella infection will be used to demonstrate the role of putative virulence factors during infection. The three approaches are complementary and have been used to investigate virulence in many different types of pathogens. Since very little is known about the virulence factors of K. pneumoniae, it is anticipated that these studies will provide information on new and novel virulence factors produced by these bacteria. Fundamental to devising new therapeutic approaches to opportunistic infections will be an understanding of the virulence factors produced by this group of organisms.
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