Investigation of Bacterial Persistence and Filaments Formation in Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae

First Report from Iraq

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14500/aro.10895
Keywords: Filamentation, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Persistence, Scanning electron microscope, Survivor cells

Abstract

Bacterial persistence is recognized as a major cause of antibiotic therapy failure, causing biofilms, and chronic intractable infections. The emergence of persisters in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates has become a worldwide public health concern. The goal of the present study is to investigate the formation of persister cells beside filaments in Iraqi K. pneumoniae isolates. A total of fifty clinical K. pneumoniae isolates were collected from different clinical specimens and identified using the genotypic identification by using specific primer (rpoB gene) from housekeeping genes. Persister cells investigation is performed by exposure of stationary phase K. pneumoniae isolates to a high concentration of ciprofloxacin (×10 MIC) and counting the number of viable persister cells by CFU counts. Bacterial filament formation is detected and measured by light microscope scanning electron microscope. The results show the  bility of these pathogenic bacteria to form persister cells to survive the bactericidal antibiotics and to cause chronic infection.Furthermore, persistent isolates have the ability to change in shape and size extensively, about 4 times increase in cell length than their normal length. These phenomena are possibly the initial stages of bacterial resistance prevalence.

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Author Biographies

Sarah N. Aziz, Department of Biology, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq

Sarah N. Aziz is an assistant lecturer at the Department of Biology, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq. She got the B.Sc. degree in Biology, the M.Sc. degree in Microbiology.  Her research interests are in Bacteriology, Bacterial Physiology, Molecular Biology, Antibiotic Resistance and Nano-biotechnology.

Mohammed F. Al Marjani, Department of Biology, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq

Mohammed F. Al Marjani is a Professor at the Department of Biology, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq. He got the B.Sc., M.Sc., and the Ph.D. degree in Microbiology. His research interests are in Molecular Biology, Antibiotic Resistance, Bacterial Genetics and Gene Expression Regulation.

 

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ARO Journal: Volume 10, No. 2 (2022)
Published
2022-10-28
How to Cite
Aziz, S. N. and Al Marjani, M. F. (2022) “Investigation of Bacterial Persistence and Filaments Formation in Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae: First Report from Iraq”, ARO-THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF KOYA UNIVERSITY, 10(2), pp. 82-86. doi: 10.14500/aro.10895.
Issue
Vol. 10 No. 2 (2022): Issue Nineteen
Section
Articles

Copyright (c) 2022 Sarah N. Aziz, Mohammed F. Al Marjani

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