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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
Generation and Quantitative Characterization of Functional and Polarized Biliary Epithelial Cysts
Published on: May 16, 2020
Phenotypic and comparative genomic characterization of a human biliary-derived Kosakonia radicincitans isolate
Wanqiu Zhu1, Guoxin Xu1, Liping Gu1
1Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First People's Hospital of Zhangjiagang City, Zhangjiagang Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Zhangjiagang, China.
Introduction:
Kosakonia radicincitans is primarily recognized as a plant-associated and environmentally adapted member of Enterobacteriaceae, whereas recovery from human clinical specimens remains uncommon. Routine biochemical identification may misassign recently reclassified Kosakonia species to closely related Enterobacter taxa.
Methods:
We characterized strain ZJG61129, a K. radicincitans isolate recovered from bile during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in a patient with choledocholithiasis. Colony morphology, VITEK 2 Compact identification, MALDI-TOF MS identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed. Whole-genome sequencing, average nucleotide identity (ANI), digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), 16S rRNA and core-genome phylogeny analyses, whole-genome comparison, pan-genome analysis, and resistance/virulence-associated gene screening were used for taxonomic confirmation and genomic characterization.
Results:
ZJG61129 formed smooth, moist colonies on blood agar and MacConkey agar. VITEK 2 Compact assigned the isolate to the Enterobacter cloacae complex with 92% confidence, whereas MALDI-TOF MS identified it as K. radicincitans with a score of 2.259. The genome consisted of a single circular chromosome of 5,510,622 bp with a GC content of approximately 54.0%. ANI and dDDH analyses confirmed assignment to K. radicincitans, and 16S rRNA together with core-genome phylogeny placed ZJG61129 within the Kosakonia lineage. Comparative genomics showed a conserved genomic backbone, substantial genomic plasticity, and no clear source-associated genomic structuring in the current dataset. ZJG61129 was susceptible to all antimicrobial agents tested. In silico resistance and virulence gene analyses did not indicate high-risk acquired resistance or a clearly high-virulence genotype.
Discussion:
ZJG61129 represents a human biliary-derived, environmental-like K. radicincitans isolate that may be misassigned by routine biochemical identification. Genome-based analysis is valuable for accurate recognition of uncommon, recently reclassified Enterobacteriaceae from biliary specimens.