Colistin resistance mutations in phoQ sensitize Klebsiella pneumoniae to IgM-mediated complement killing

The Gram-negative bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae is notorious for a strong increase of infections with antibiotic resistant strains. To treat infections with antibiotic resistant K. pneumoniae, clinicians increasingly need to use the last resort antibiotic colistin. K. pneumoniae can develop colistin resistance by modifying its membranes. During infection the membranes of Gram-negative bacteria are also targeted by the human immune system via the complement system. Gram-negative bacteria have an outer and inner membrane separated by a thin cell wall. Activation of the complement system leads to the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC), a pore that inserts into the outer membrane, and ultimately leads to lysis of the bacterium. As both colistin and the MAC interact with the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, we wondered if developing colistin resistance influences MAC-mediated killing of K. pneumoniae. Using clinical isolates that developed colistin resistance, we found that the strain Kp209_CSTR became more sensitive to MAC-mediated killing compared to the wild-type strain. MAC-mediated membrane permeabilization of Kp209_CSTR required antibody dependent activation of the classical complement pathway. Strikingly, Kp209_CSTR was bound by IgM in human serum that did not recognise the wild-type strain. Depletion of Kp209_CSTR-specific antibodies from serum prevented MAC-mediated membrane permeabilization, which was restored by adding back IgM. Genomic sequence comparison revealed that Kp209_CSTR has a deletion in the phoQ gene. RNAseq analysis suggested that this mutation locks PhoQ in a constitutively active state. These results indicate that PhoQ activation in Kp209_CSTR leads to both colistin resistance and sensitivity to MAC-mediated killing. Together, our results show that developing colistin resistance can sensitize K. pneumoniae to killing by the immune system.