Newly Detected Transmission of bla_(KPC-2) by Outer Membrane Vesicles in Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Objective The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CR-KP)is a global public health problem.It is mainly caused by the plasmid-carried carbapenemase gene.Outer membrane vesicles(OMVs)contain toxins and other factors involved in various biological processes,includingβ-lactamase and antibiotic-resistance genes.This study aimed to reveal the transmission mechanism of OMV-mediated drug resistance of Klebsiella(K.)pneumoniae.Methods We selected CR-KP producing K.pneumoniae carbapenemase-2(KPC-2)to study whether they can transfer resistance genes through OMVs.The OMVs of CR-KP were obtained by ultracentrifugation,and incubated with carbapenem-sensitive K.pneumoniae for 4 h.Finally,the carbapenem-sensitive K.pneumoniae was tested for the presence of bla_(KPC-2)resistance gene and its sensitivity to carbapenem antibiotics.Results The existence of OMVs was observed by the electron microscopy.The extracted OMVs had bla_(KPC-2)resistance gene.After incubation with OMVs,bla_(KPC-2)resistance gene was detected in sensitive K.pneumoniae,and it became resistant to imipenem and meropenem.Conclusion This study demonstrated that OMVs isolated from KPC-2-producing CR-KP could deliver bla_(KPC-2)to sensitive K.pneumoniae,allowing the bacteria to produce carbapenemase,which may provide a novel target for innovative therapies in combination with conventional antibiotics for treating carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.