Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Separating Bacteria by Capsule Amount Using a Discontinuous Density Gradient
05:52

Separating Bacteria by Capsule Amount Using a Discontinuous Density Gradient

Published on: January 7, 2019

Characterization of pKP1433, a novel KPC-2-encoding plasmid from Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 340

C C Papagiannitsis1, V Miriagou, P Giakkoupi

  • 1Department of Microbiology, National School of Public Health, Athens, Greece. c.papagiannitsis@gmail.com

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|May 1, 2013
PubMed

Insights

The Klebsiella pneumoniae plasmid pKP1433, carrying blaKPC-2, shares similarities with IncN plasmids but has unique replication and stability features from other plasmid types.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Plasmid Biology

Background:

  • Klebsiella pneumoniae is a significant opportunistic pathogen.
  • The blaKPC-2 gene confers carbapenem resistance, a critical public health concern.
  • Plasmids are key vehicles for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the complete nucleotide sequence of the pKP1433 plasmid.
  • To analyze the genetic elements responsible for the plasmid's characteristics.
  • To understand the evolutionary origins and maintenance mechanisms of pKP1433.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-genome sequencing of the pKP1433 plasmid.
  • Bioinformatic analysis of the nucleotide sequence.
  • Comparative genomics with known plasmid sequences.

Main Results:

  • The pKP1433 plasmid is 55,417 bp in length and carries the blaKPC-2 gene.
  • It exhibits significant sequence and structural resemblance to IncN plasmids containing the Tn4401b isoform.
  • Replication, partitioning, and stability determinants were found to be related to diverse non-IncN plasmids.

Conclusions:

  • pKP1433 represents a hybrid plasmid with mixed genetic origins.
  • Its unique combination of IncN-like and non-IncN elements influences its prevalence and spread.
  • Understanding such mosaic plasmids is crucial for combating carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

More Related Videos

From a Natural Product to Its Biosynthetic Gene Cluster: A Demonstration Using Polyketomycin from Streptomyces diastatochromogenes Tü602809:08

From a Natural Product to Its Biosynthetic Gene Cluster: A Demonstration Using Polyketomycin from Streptomyces diastatochromogenes Tü6028

Published on: January 13, 2017

Hybrid De Novo Genome Assembly for the Generation of Complete Genomes of Urinary Bacteria using Short- and Long-read Sequencing Technologies12:08

Hybrid De Novo Genome Assembly for the Generation of Complete Genomes of Urinary Bacteria using Short- and Long-read Sequencing Technologies

Published on: August 20, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Plasmids01:28

Plasmids

Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules found in bacteria, archaea, and some eukaryotic microbes like yeast. These small, circular DNA structures typically contain fewer than 30 genes, although some may exist linearly. Plasmids vary in their number within a cell, known as copy number. Single-copy plasmids are present in one copy per cell and multi-copy plasmids are present in multiple copies, reaching over 100 copies per cell.Plasmids usually replicate independently of the chromosomal DNA...
Atypical Pneumonia01:14

Atypical Pneumonia

Atypical pneumonia, often caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, is a form of pulmonary infection that differs from the classical presentation of bacterial pneumonia in both its cause and clinical symptoms. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a pleomorphic bacterium notable for its lack of a rigid cell wall. This structural characteristic imparts resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and significantly influences the bacterium’s behavior within the human host.Other pathogens responsible for the disease include...
Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes00:46

Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes

The genome of most prokaryotic organisms consists of double-stranded DNA organized into one circular chromosome in a region of cytoplasm called the nucleoid. The chromosome is tightly wound, or supercoiled, for efficient storage. Prokaryotes also contain other circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. These plasmids are smaller than the chromosome and often carry genes that confer adaptive functions, such as antibiotic resistance.
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...