Klebsiella planticola

This student page has not been curated.

Legend. Image credit: Name or Publication.

Classification

Bacteria; Pseudomonadota; Gammaproteobacteria; Enterobacterales; Enterobacteriaceae; Klebsiella/Raoultella group; Klebsiella [1]

Species

Klebsiella planticola

Description and Significance

Klebsiella planticola is a primarily environmental species, from plant and aquatic origins, that can also be isolated from clinical specimens and can be associated with various infections-- including urinary tract infections and wound infections. [2] K. planticola is a rod shaped bacterium and have been isolated from multiple environmental sources, such as the roots of wheat, corn, and rice, where they act as nitrogen-fixers. [3] They are facultative anaerobes, meaning they can survive with or without oxygen, and they are gram negative. [4]

Significance of this species, along with the rest of its genus, arise from the fact that carrier rates of this bacterium on a person increase drastically in a hospital environment; where colonization rates proportionally increase with length of stay, which is one of the main reasons antibiotic resistance in Klebsiella species is on the rise. [5]

Genome Structure

Most strains of Klebsiella planticola have one circular chromosome and four plasmids. A large number of K. planticola isolates found can have up to four antimicrobial resistant genes, which causes concern for antibiotic treatment for those infected with the bacterium. Strains have a median mega base pair count of 5.85103, 5,371 proteins, and a 55.5% GC content. [6]

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.

K. planticola produces a polysaccharide capsule, allowing it to for large mucoid colonies as well as biofilms. [7] They are catalase producing, breaking down hydrogen peroxide to water, and ferment glucose, lactose, sorbose and the reduction of nitrates. [8]

Ecology and Pathogenesis

Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.

If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

When first discovered, it was thought that K. planticola was a non-pathenogentic organism that inhabited soil and various root systems. Although rare, K. planticola has been identified as being able to cause neonatal sepsis. [9] When infecting humans, this bacterium colonized in the rectum and large intestine.

K. planticola is susceptible to many different antibiotics, such as piperacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefuroxime, and more. But most, if not all, substrains are resistant to ampicillin and penicillin. [10]