Increased pathogenicity of pneumococcal serotype 1 is driven by rapid autolysis and release of pneumolysin

Laura C. Jacques; Stavros Panagiotou; Murielle Baltazar; Madikay Senghore; Shadia Khandaker; Rong Xu; Laura Bricio-Moreno; Marie Yang; Christopher G. Dowson; Dean B. Everett; Daniel R. Neill; Aras Kadioglu

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15751-6

Nature Communications (Apr 2020)

Increased pathogenicity of pneumococcal serotype 1 is driven by rapid autolysis and release of pneumolysin

Laura C. Jacques,
Stavros Panagiotou,
Murielle Baltazar,
Madikay Senghore,
Shadia Khandaker,
Rong Xu,
Laura Bricio-Moreno,
Marie Yang,
Christopher G. Dowson,
Dean B. Everett,
Daniel R. Neill,
Aras Kadioglu

Affiliations

Laura C. Jacques: Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool
Stavros Panagiotou: Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool
Murielle Baltazar: Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool
Madikay Senghore: Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia
Shadia Khandaker: Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool
Rong Xu: Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool
Laura Bricio-Moreno: Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool
Marie Yang: Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool
Christopher G. Dowson: School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick
Dean B. Everett: Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, University of Malawi, College of Medicine
Daniel R. Neill: Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool
Aras Kadioglu: Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15751-6
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

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The mechanisms behind the high invasiveness of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 1 are unclear. Here, Jacques et al. show that this feature is due to overproduction and rapid release of pneumolysin, which induces cytotoxicity and breakdown of tight junctions, allowing rapid bacterial dissemination from the respiratory tract into the blood.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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