Preferred evolutionary routes of convergence in Klebsiella pneumoniae favor siderophore acquisition over hypervirulence

@article{sapre2026preferred,
  title = {{Preferred evolutionary routes of convergence in Klebsiella pneumoniae favor siderophore acquisition over hypervirulence}},
  author = {Anjali P. Sapre and Melissa J. Martin and Ting L. Luo and Ulrike Carlino-MacDonald and Connor J. Davies and Emma G. Mills and Ana C. Ong and Rosslyn Maybank and Messiah J. Odeyale and Yoon I. Kwak and Valentyn Kovalchuk and Viacheslav Kondratiuk and Nadiia Fomina and Alan Hutson and the GEIS overseas consortium and Tinatin Aptsiauri and Barbara Bujak and Christine Hulseberg and Shorena Mazmaniani and Thomas Musich and Nino Trapaidze and Stephen Alafi and Bernard Erima and Hope O. Kabatesi and Hannah Kibuuka and Fred Wabwire-Mangen and Godfrey Wokorach and Mayar M. Said and Omar M. Sayyouh and Salwa A. Nasrat and Robert Haynes and Luis Pow Sang and Collins K. Kigen and Vanessa Natasha and James Wachira and Erick Odoyo and Allan Wataka and Stephen Ondolo and Manuela Bernal and Enrique Canal and Paula Corazon Diones and Maria Theresa Valderama and Sidhartha Chaudhury and Daniel M. Boudreaux and Paphavee Lertsethtakarn and Jeff Livezey and Woradee Lurchachaiwong and Boonyalai Nonlawat and Wilawan Oransathit and Magda Metreveli and Denis K. Byarugaba and Tamer S. Osman and Lillian A. Musila and Paul Rios and John Mark Velasco and Nattaya Ruamsapp and Jason W. Bennett and Patrick T. Mc Gann and Thomas A. Russo and Francois Lebreton},
  journal = {Nature Communications},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-78501-0},
  url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78501-0},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Preferred evolutionary routes of convergence in Klebsiella pneumoniae favor siderophore acquisition over hypervirulence
AU  - Anjali P. Sapre
AU  - Melissa J. Martin
AU  - Ting L. Luo
AU  - Ulrike Carlino-MacDonald
AU  - Connor J. Davies
AU  - Emma G. Mills
AU  - Ana C. Ong
AU  - Rosslyn Maybank
AU  - Messiah J. Odeyale
AU  - Yoon I. Kwak
AU  - Valentyn Kovalchuk
AU  - Viacheslav Kondratiuk
AU  - Nadiia Fomina
AU  - Alan Hutson
AU  - the GEIS overseas consortium
AU  - Tinatin Aptsiauri
AU  - Barbara Bujak
AU  - Christine Hulseberg
AU  - Shorena Mazmaniani
AU  - Thomas Musich
AU  - Nino Trapaidze
AU  - Stephen Alafi
AU  - Bernard Erima
AU  - Hope O. Kabatesi
AU  - Hannah Kibuuka
AU  - Fred Wabwire-Mangen
AU  - Godfrey Wokorach
AU  - Mayar M. Said
AU  - Omar M. Sayyouh
AU  - Salwa A. Nasrat
AU  - Robert Haynes
AU  - Luis Pow Sang
AU  - Collins K. Kigen
AU  - Vanessa Natasha
AU  - James Wachira
AU  - Erick Odoyo
AU  - Allan Wataka
AU  - Stephen Ondolo
AU  - Manuela Bernal
AU  - Enrique Canal
AU  - Paula Corazon Diones
AU  - Maria Theresa Valderama
AU  - Sidhartha Chaudhury
AU  - Daniel M. Boudreaux
AU  - Paphavee Lertsethtakarn
AU  - Jeff Livezey
AU  - Woradee Lurchachaiwong
AU  - Boonyalai Nonlawat
AU  - Wilawan Oransathit
AU  - Magda Metreveli
AU  - Denis K. Byarugaba
AU  - Tamer S. Osman
AU  - Lillian A. Musila
AU  - Paul Rios
AU  - John Mark Velasco
AU  - Nattaya Ruamsapp
AU  - Jason W. Bennett
AU  - Patrick T. Mc Gann
AU  - Thomas A. Russo
AU  - Francois Lebreton
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/21
JO  - Nature Communications
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-026-78501-0
UR  - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78501-0
AB  - The rise of Klebsiella pneumoniae combining antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes poses a major health threat, but the evolutionary routes and phenotypic consequences of this convergence are poorly understood. Here, phylogenetics of 1468 isolates and population analysis of 7520 plasmids, from >50 countries through the last two decades, reveal that convergence follows preferred, constrained evolutionary paths. The dominant route involves multidrug-resistant classical K. pneumoniae acquiring conjugative IncFIB(Mar)/IncHI1B(Mar) plasmids carrying an incomplete set of virulence biomarkers. Across 25 independent convergence events, the acquisition of the aerobactin siderophore locus was the only universal feature. These convergent isolates exhibit enhanced siderophore production but consistently lack the hypervirulent phenotype in vivo. In contrast, genuine hypervirulent strains that gain resistance remain rare. We conclude that enhanced siderophore production, not hypervirulence, is the primary adaptive trait driving the success of globally emerging convergent lineages, representing a distinct evolutionary state optimized for transmission rather than systemic invasion.
SN  - 2041-1723
ER  -