ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Research Article | Open Access
Sivaranjani Gowrinathan1, Gayathri Gururajan1 , Kathireshan A. Kaliyaperumal1, Leah Ashrita Samson1, Rajyoganandh Subramanian Vijayaraman1 and Senthil Renganathan2
1Department of Microbiology, Vels Institute of Science Technology and Advanced Studies (VISTAS), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
2Department of Bioinformatics, Vels Institute of Science Technology and Advanced Studies (VISTAS), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Article Number: 9806 | © The Author(s). 2025
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2025;19(1):369-378. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.19.1.27
Received: 15 August 2024 | Accepted: 07 January 2025 | Published online: 27 February 2025
Issue online: March 2025
Abstract

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is extensive, both in healthcare settings and the general population. Biofilm formation in K. pneumoniae plays a key role in infection pathogenesis and serves as important defensive strategy against antibiotics and immune evasion. This study examined the presence of efflux pumps, potential for biofilm development, and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of K. pneumoniae clinical isolates. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of K. pneumoniae isolates was performed using the disc diffusion method. All isolates were tested for efflux pump presence using the cartwheel method, and biofilm production was estimated using tissue culture plate, tube, and Congo red agar methods. PCR amplification was performed using specific primers to detect genes encoding drug resistance and biofilm formation. All 17 isolates of K. pneumoniae isolates exhibited multidrug- resistance and functional efflux pumps. Nevertheless, the capacity of these organisms to produce biofilms differed, with eight (47%) strong biofilm formers, seven (41%) moderate biofilm formers, and two (11%) weak biofilm formers. The antibiotic resistance genes, blaCTX-M , blaKPC , and blaNDM were present in 15 (88%), 11 (64%), and seven (41%) K. pneumoniae isolates, respectively. The genes, acrAB, tolC, and mdtK, encoded efflux pumps present in 12 (70%), 15 (88%), and 10 (58%) isolates, respectively. Biofilm genes, mrkD, fimH, and luxS, were present in 16 (94%) isolates. This study revealed multiple factors that lead to the notable drug resistance observed in K. pneumoniae isolates. Therefore, it is advisable to implement a holistic strategy for managing diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria.

Keywords

Antibiotic Resistance, Biofilm, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Efflux Pump

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© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.