22.08.2022

First genome-scale reconstruction of Klebsiella pneumoniae HS11286

Meike Lips creates in her bachelor thesis the first model of the strain HS11286 of K. pneumoniae.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic bacterium from the Enterobacteriaceae family. It grows on various human mucous membranes, such as the nose and intestine. Klebsiella pneumoniae belongs to the so-called ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.). The increasing development of antibiotic resistance among this group of pathogens poses a threat to individuals with compromised immune systems and healthy individuals. Thus, the reconstruction of a genome-scale model for Klebsiella penumoniae HS11286 was motivated by gaining a deeper understanding of the pathogen’s metabolism and building a helpful research tool that can aid in the development of new treatments. The model was validated in several ways, firstly by simulating different growth rates on experimentally determined media compositions, such as the synthetic nasal medium SNM3, and secondly by predicting essential genes.