The gram-negative bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) is a common member of our intestinal microbiota. But it is also an opportunistic pathogen and major cause of nosocomial infection with increasing antibiotic resistance mainly infecting newborns, the elderly or immunocompromised. As no vaccine for Kp exists, passive immunization with antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is considered a potential pre-emptive therapy or treatment option to circumvent antibiotic resistance. Here, we study the intestinal antibody response to Kp in gnotobiotic animal models using single B cell receptor sequencing, Ig gene repertoire analysis and recombinant antibody expression with the aim to identify protective Kp-reactive mAbs.
