Genomic analysis reveals the presence of emerging pathogenicKlebsiellalineages aboard the International Space Station

Abstract

Klebsiella species, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella aerogenes, and Klebsiella quasipneumoniae, are opportunistic pathogens that are known to cause infections in humans. Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) is a subgroup of K. pneumoniae that has gained attention due to its global dissemination and its ability to cause invasive infections in community settings amongst immunocompetent individuals and its increasing levels of antibiotic resistance. Our study reports the first complete phenotypic and genotypic analysis including mobile genetic elements (MGEs) of Klebsiella isolates from the International Space Station (ISS). The genomes of K. pneumoniae, K. aerogenes, and K. quasipneumoniae provided valuable insights into their antimicrobial resistance, virulence, thermotolerance, disinfectant resistance, and MGEs. All isolates belonged to emerging pathogenic lineages with K. quasipneumoniae ST138 presenting spatial and temporal persistence aboard the ISS, possibly due to its genotypic profile encoding for numerous resistance genes to disinfectants and heavy metals. We also report, for the first time, on the isolation of a yersiniabactin encoding K. pneumoniae, belonging to the emerging high-risk ST101 clone, aboard the ISS. Potential dissemination of hvKp strains on ISS could pose a putative risk to the immunocompromised crew. The presence of MGEs containing virulent loci could facilitate horizontal gene transfer to other benign microorganisms on the ISS, potentially increasing their virulence. In addition, genetic divergence from their respective lineages for some Klebsiella genomes was predicted and hypothesized to be due to the unique spaceflight environmental pressures. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring problematic microbial communities in space to understand their surviving abilities and potential impact on human health.

Genomic, functional, and metabolic enhancements in multidrug-resistant Enterobacter bugandensis facilitating its persistence and succession in the International Space Station

“…Hence, it is crucial to explore genomic and metabolic studies to understand the functionality of these microorganisms and their potential implications for astronaut well-being. While some attempts have been made to understand the effect of pathogens like A. pittii [25] and K. pneumoniae [13,26] under stress conditions on the ISS, there is still much more to explore.…”