Lipid A profiling and metabolomics analysis of paired polymyxin-susceptible and -resistant MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates from the same patients before and after colistin treatment

Background: The increased incidence of polymyxin-resistant MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae has become a major global health concern. Objectives: To characterize the lipid A profiles and metabolome differences between paired polymyxin-susceptible and -resistant MDR K. pneumoniae clinical isolates. Methods: Three pairs of K. pneumoniae clinical isolates from the same patients were examined [ATH 7 (polymyxin B MIC 0.25mg/L) versus ATH 8 (64mg/L); ATH 15 (0.5mg/L) versus ATH 16 (32mg/L); and ATH 17 (0.5mg/L) versus ATH 18 (64mg/L)]. Lipid A and metabolomes were analysed using LC-MS and bioinformatic analysis was conducted. Results: The predominant species of lipid A in all three paired isolates were hexa-acylated and 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose-modified lipid A species were detected in the three polymyxin-resistant isolates. Significant metabolic differences were evident between the paired isolates. Compared with their corresponding polymyxin-susceptible isolates, the levels of metabolites in amino sugar metabolism (UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-glucosamine and UDP-N-alpha-acetyl-D-mannosaminuronate) and central carbon metabolism (e.g. pentose phosphate pathway and tricarboxylic acid cycle) were significantly reduced in all polymyxin-resistant isolates [fold change (FC)>1.5, P<0.05]. Similarly, nucleotides, amino acids and key metabolites in glycerophospholipid metabolism, namely sn-glycerol-3-phosphate and sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, were significantly reduced across all polymyxin-resistant isolates (FC>1.5, P<0.05) compared with polymyxin-susceptible isolates. However, higher glycerophospholipid levels were evident in polymyxin-resistant ATH 8 and ATH 16 (FC>1.5, P<0.05) compared with their corresponding susceptible isolates. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study is the first to reveal significant metabolic perturbations associated with polymyxin resistance in K. pneumoniae.