{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T19:08:30Z","timestamp":1790968110593,"version":"4.1.0"},"update-to":[{"DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0011541","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,11]],"date-time":"2023-09-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1694390400000}}],"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,11]],"date-time":"2023-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1691712000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Hospital and Social Welfare Organizations Administration Commission, Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan","award":["MOHW-YFH-11233"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MOHW-YFH-11233"]}]},{"name":"China Medical University of Taiwan","award":["CMU111-N-31"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CMU111-N-31"]}]},{"name":"Chest Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan","award":["CCD-11201"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CCD-11201"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p><jats:italic>Acanthamoeba<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Klebsiella pneumoniae<\/jats:italic> are both environmental commensals. Recently, clinical harm caused by hypermucoviscous <jats:italic>K<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>pneumoniae<\/jats:italic> has been observed. However, the interaction between these microbes and the origin of hypermucoviscous <jats:italic>K<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>pneumoniae<\/jats:italic> have not been reported<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methodology\/Principal findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Here, we report that the bacterial capsule is enlarged when co-cultured with <jats:italic>Acanthamoeba<\/jats:italic> using India ink staining, and this effect depends on the number of parasites present. This interaction results in an enhancement of capsular polysaccharide production in the subsequent generations of <jats:italic>K<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>pneumoniae<\/jats:italic>, even without co-culturing with <jats:italic>Acanthamoeba<\/jats:italic>. The hypermucoviscosity of the capsule was examined using the sedimentation assay and string test. We also screened other <jats:italic>K<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>pneumoniae<\/jats:italic> serotypes, including K1, K2, K5, and K20, for interaction with <jats:italic>Acanthamoeba<\/jats:italic> using India ink staining, and found the same interaction effect<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions\/Significance<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>These findings suggest that the interaction between <jats:italic>Acanthamoeba<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>K<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>pneumoniae<\/jats:italic> could lead to harmful consequences in public health and nosocomial disease control, particularly hypermucoviscous <jats:italic>K<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>pneumoniae<\/jats:italic> infections.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0011541","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,11]],"date-time":"2023-08-11T17:30:57Z","timestamp":1691775057000},"page":"e0011541","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Enhancement of capsular hypermucoviscosity in Klebsiella pneumoniae by 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