Emergence of two distinct subpopulations from Klebsiella pneumoniae grown in the stimulated microgravity environment

AIM: To isolate and characterize the two phenotypically distinct subpopulations from Klebsiella pneumoniae clonal cultures grown in the simulate microgravity environment. MATERIALS & METHODS: Here clonal culture of K. pneumoniae strain ATCC BAA-1705 was grown within a vertically rotating wall vessel bioreactor. Microscopic, colony staining, biofilm assays and quantitative proteomics were used to define the features of subpopulations. RESULTS: Two subpopulations were isolated based on colony appearance and bacterial morphology and indicated the different capability of biofilm formation and antibiotics resistance. CONCLUSION: These findings would raise a possibility of understanding the adaptive roles of bacterial subpopulations formed under certain conditions from the viewpoint of population variation.