Phage Resistance Is Associated with Decreased Virulence in KPC-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae of the Clonal Group 258 Clade II Lineage

Phage therapy is now reconsidered with interest in the treatment of bacterial infections. A major piece of information for this application is the definition of the molecular targets exploited by phages to infect bacteria. Here, the genetic basis of resistance to the lytic phage phi BO1E by its susceptible host Klebsiella pneumoniae KKBO-1 has been investigated. KKBO-1 phage-resistant mutants were obtained by infection at high multiplicity. One mutant, designated BO-FR-1, was selected for subsequent experiments, including virulence assessment in a Galleria mellonella infection model and characterization by whole-genome sequencing. Infection with BO-FR-1 was associated with a significantly lower mortality when compared to that of the parental strain. The BO-FR-1 genome differed from KKBO-1 by a single nonsense mutation into the wbaP gene, which encodes a glycosyltransferase involved in the first step of the biosynthesis of the capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Phage susceptibility was restored when BO-FR-1 was complemented with the constitutive wbaP gene. Our results demonstrated that phi BO1E infects KKBO-1 targeting the bacterial CPS. Interestingly, BO-FR-1 was less virulent than the parental strain, suggesting that in the context of the interplay among phage, bacterial pathogen and host, the emergence of phage resistance may be beneficial for the host.

Automated summary

Phage therapy for bacterial infections is being reconsidered, with a focus on understanding the molecular targets of phages. In a study on resistance to the lytic phage phi BO1E in Klebsiella pneumoniae, a mutant with a single mutation in the CPS biosynthesis gene was found to be less virulent, indicating a potential benefit of phage resistance for the host in the context of phage-bacteria-host interactions.