The role and relationship with efflux pump of biofilm formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Abstract This study aimed to identify the role and relationship with efflux pump of biofilm formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Sixty-one K. pneumoniae clinical isolates were collected between January and June of 2017 from the affiliated hospital of southwest medical university in Luzhou, China. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) were determined using broth microdilution method. Crystal violet (CV) staining and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) were used to monitor biofilm formation. Efflux pump expression was investigated qualitatively and quantitatively by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Crystal violet staining was performed to evaluate the effect of efflux pump inhibitor carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazine (CCCP) on K. pneumoniae biofilms. Our results showed that crystal violet staining and CLSM had good consistency in biofilm detection. Biofilm formation was an independent biological behavior of the strain and measured at 24 h was reasonable. Biofilms up-regulated antimicrobial resistance and expression of efflux pump gene acrA, emrB, oqxA, and qacEΔ1 in K. pneumoniae. CCCP inhibited biofilms but dose-dependent effect was obvious. Altogether, our data demonstrates that biofilm formation, as well as its interaction with efflux pump, promotes antimicrobial resistance in K. pneumoniae.