Pantoea piersonii
| Pantoea piersonii | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Pseudomonadati |
| Phylum: | Pseudomonadota |
| Class: | Gammaproteobacteria |
| Order: | Enterobacterales |
| Family: | Erwiniaceae |
| Genus: | Pantoea |
| Species: | P. piersonii |
| Binomial name | |
| Pantoea piersonii Singh et al., 2019 | |
Pantoea piersonii is a species of gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium from the family Erwiniaceae. It is best known for having first been isolated from environmental samples collected aboard the International Space Station (ISS), making it one of the few bacterial species initially described from space.
Discovery
P. piersonii was first discovered from surface swabs collected inside the ISS as a part of microbial surveillance intended to monitor contamination and crew health risks.[1] At the time of discovery, the authors considered the bacterium sufficiently distinct from recognized genera to justify creating a new genus. The bacterium was thus named Kalamiella piersonii.[1]
Subsequent phylogenetic reassessment of the family Erwiniaceae found that Kalamiella fell within the evolutionary limits of the genus Pantoea rather than forming a clearly separate lineage.[2] As a result, the species was transferred to Panoea and became Pantoea piersonii.
Phenotypic characteristics
P. piersonii is a motile, non-endospore forming Gram-negative rod.[1] The bacterium produces beige colonies with circular and smooth edges. P. piersonii is able to grow at temperatures between 12 and 37 °C, with optimum growth at 30 °C.[1] It produces urea carboxylase and allophanate hydrolase, allowing for efficient colonization of the urinary tract.[3]
Clinical significance
Pathogenicity
Whole genome sequencing of P. piersonii found evidence of plasmids associated with hypervirulence.[4] Its genome encodes virulence genes involved in adhesion, invasion, and colonization.[5]
Human disease
Although initially predicted to be non-pathogenic, P. piersonii has been isolated from several clinical sources.[1] The first report P. piersonii from a clinical source was in 2020, when it was isolated from the urine of a patient with kidney stones.[6][7] Despite being found from a urinary source, the isolate did not produce urease.
P. piersonii has also been isolated from wounds[8] and the blood of an infant with bacteremia.[9]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Singh, Nitin Kumar; Wood, Jason M.; Mhatre, Snehit S.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri (2019). "Metagenome to phenome approach enables isolation and genomics characterization of Kalamiella piersonii gen. nov., sp. nov. from the International Space Station". Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 103 (11): 4483–4497. Bibcode:2019ApMB..103.4483S. doi:10.1007/s00253-019-09813-z. ISSN 1432-0614. PMID 31011775.
- ↑ Soutar, Craig D.; Stavrinides, John (2022). "Phylogenomic analysis of the Erwiniaceae supports reclassification of Kalamiella piersonii to Pantoea piersonii comb. nov. and Erwinia gerundensis to the new genus Duffyella gen. nov. as Duffyella gerundensis comb. nov". Molecular Genetics and Genomics. 297 (1): 213–225. doi:10.1007/s00438-021-01829-3. ISSN 1617-4623. PMID 34988605.
- ↑ Subramaniyan, Yuvarajan; Megha, K. S.; Adithyan, K.; Nair, Rajendu R.; Mujeeburahiman, M.; Baby, Blessy M.; Ganesh, Pallavi Poojarira; Rekha, Punchappady Devasya (2026-01-20). "Effect of metabolites on the survival and biofilm formation of Pantoea piersonii (Basionym: Kalamiella piersonii) in synthetic urine media". BMC Microbiology. 26 (1): 182. doi:10.1186/s12866-025-04684-z. ISSN 1471-2180. PMC 12951989. PMID 41555213.
- ↑ McDonagh, Francesca; Singh, Nitin Kumar; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri; Lonappan, Aneesa Mangalam; Hallahan, Brian; Tuohy, Alma; Burke, Liam; Kovarova, Aneta; Miliotis, Georgios (2023). "First complete genome of a multidrug-resistant strain of the novel human pathogen Kalamiella piersonii (GABEKP28) identified in human saliva". Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance. 32: 31–34. doi:10.1016/j.jgar.2022.12.003. PMID 36586465.
- ↑ Baby, Blessy M.; Subramaniyan, Yuvarajan; Rekha, Punchappady Devasya (2026). "Pantoea piersonii (basionym kalamiella piersonii) as an emerging pathogen: clinical manifestations, diagnostic challenges, and resistance threats". Folia Microbiologica. 71 (1): 13–19. doi:10.1007/s12223-025-01364-3. ISSN 1874-9356. PMID 41085949.
- ↑ Rekha, Punchappady Devasya; Hameed, Asif; Manzoor, Muhammed A. P.; Suryavanshi, Mangesh V.; Ghate, Sudeep D.; Arun, A. B.; Rao, Sneha S.; Athmika, null; Bajire, Sukesh Kumar; Mujeeburahiman, M.; Young, C.-C. (2020-08-29). "First Report of Pathogenic Bacterium Kalamiella piersonii Isolated from Urine of a Kidney Stone Patient: Draft Genome and Evidence for Role in Struvite Crystallization". Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland). 9 (9): 711. Bibcode:2020Patho...9..711R. doi:10.3390/pathogens9090711. ISSN 2076-0817. PMC 7558591. PMID 32872396.
- ↑ Ghosh, Sahana (2025-03-11). "A bacterium first seen in space is now infecting humans". Nature India. doi:10.1038/d44151-025-00038-w. ISSN 1755-3180.
- ↑ Atilan, Kubra; Ozdem, Tayfun; Aydogan, Canset Nur; Hosbul, Tugrul (2025). "A rare case report of tissue infection caused by Pantoea piersonii (basionym Kalamiella piersonii)". Folia Microbiologica. 70 (1): 249–252. doi:10.1007/s12223-024-01203-x. ISSN 1874-9356. PMID 39365412.
- ↑ Sada, Jun; Hirai, Jun; Ota, Koki; Numoto, Shingo; Honma, Hitoshi; Mori, Nobuaki; Sakanashi, Daisuke; Mikamo, Hiroshige; Okumura, Akihisa (2023). "Bacteremia Caused by Kalamiella piersonii Found in an Infant During the Course of Gastrointestinal Food Allergy". Infection and Drug Resistance. 16: 2647–2651. doi:10.2147/IDR.S402364. ISSN 1178-6973. PMC 10163890. PMID 37159826.