Banca de DEFESA: GABRIEL CIDADE FEITOSA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : GABRIEL CIDADE FEITOSA
DATE: 30/03/2026
TIME: 08:00
LOCAL: Universidade Católica de Brasília
TITLE:

Evaluation of the resistance profile of the peptide BotrAMP 14 in Klebsiella pneumoniae

KEY WORDS:

Antimicrobial peptide; antimicrobial resistance; Klebsiella pneumoniae; BotrAMP 14; alternative therapies.

PAGES: 61
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Genética
SUMMARY:

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered one of the most significant global public health challenges, being responsible for more than 4 million deaths in 2021 and with alarming projections of 10 million deaths by 2050. Klebsiella pneumoniae, an opportunistic Gram-negative bacterium frequently associated with nosocomial infections, stands out even among the priority pathogens listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In this context, therapies based on antimicrobial peptides have emerged as promising alternatives for combating AMR. The objective of this study was to induce and characterize the resistance profile of K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883 against the peptide BotrAMP 14. Remarkably, after only six rounds of exposure, resistance was observed in 5 of the 10 induced lineages. Among these, lineages KpG1 and KpG4 demonstrated notable adaptive capacity under selective pressure, reaching resistance levels up to 16- fold higher than the initial minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 4 µM. The induced lineages exhibited collateral resistance, with altered resistance profiles relative to the parental strain against colistin, amikacin, and fluoroquinolones. The induced resistance was stable against antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and peptide-based antibiotics, such as colistin. However, the acquired collateral resistance proved unstable, with partial reversion observed after 10 days in the absence of the selective agent, even for intrinsic resistances of the bacterium, such as those against β-lactams. Additionally, an increased metabolic cost was observed in the resistant lineages, KpG1 and KpG4. These findings contribute to a better understanding of K. pneumoniae as a pathogen and may inform the development of new strategies in the ongoing battle against antimicrobial resistance.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - ELIZABETE DE SOUZA CÂNDIDO - UCDB
Externo à Instituição - NELSON GOMES DE OLIVEIRA JUNIOR - UCB
Presidente - ***.234.003-** - OCTAVIO LUIZ FRANCO - UnB
Externa ao Programa - 1127029 - TANISE VENDRUSCOLO DALMOLIN - null