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Unencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae from conjunctivitis encode variant traits and belong to a distinct phylogenetic cluster

Author

Listed:
  • Michael D. Valentino

    (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Harvard Medical School
    The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

  • Abigail Manson McGuire

    (The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

  • Jason W. Rosch

    (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

  • Paulo J. M. Bispo

    (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Harvard Medical School)

  • Corinna Burnham

    (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

  • Christine M. Sanfilippo

    (Bausch and Lomb Inc.
    Present address: Upstate Stem Cell cGMP Facility, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York, 14642, USA)

  • Robert A. Carter

    (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

  • Michael E. Zegans

    (Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth)

  • Bernard Beall

    (Streptococcus Laboratory, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

  • Ashlee M. Earl

    (The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

  • Elaine I. Tuomanen

    (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

  • Timothy W. Morris

    (Bausch and Lomb Inc.
    Present address: Actelion Clinical Research, 1820 Chapel Avenue, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08002, USA)

  • Wolfgang Haas

    (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Harvard Medical School)

  • Michael S. Gilmore

    (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
    Harvard Medical School
    The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard)

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae, an inhabitant of the upper respiratory mucosa, causes respiratory and invasive infections as well as conjunctivitis. Strains that lack the capsule, a main virulence factor and the target of current vaccines, are often isolated from conjunctivitis cases. Here we perform a comparative genomic analysis of 271 strains of conjunctivitis-causing S. pneumoniae from 72 postal codes in the United States. We find that the vast majority of conjunctivitis strains are members of a distinct cluster of closely related unencapsulated strains. These strains possess divergent forms of pneumococcal virulence factors (such as CbpA and neuraminidases) that are not shared with other unencapsulated nasopharyngeal S. pneumoniae. They also possess putative adhesins that have not been described in encapsulated pneumococci. These findings suggest that the unencapsulated strains capable of causing conjunctivitis utilize a pathogenesis strategy substantially different from that described for S. pneumoniae at other infection sites.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael D. Valentino & Abigail Manson McGuire & Jason W. Rosch & Paulo J. M. Bispo & Corinna Burnham & Christine M. Sanfilippo & Robert A. Carter & Michael E. Zegans & Bernard Beall & Ashlee M. Earl &, 2014. "Unencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae from conjunctivitis encode variant traits and belong to a distinct phylogenetic cluster," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms6411
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6411
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    Cited by:

    1. Mark G. Young & Timothy J. Straub & Colin J. Worby & Hayden C. Metsky & Andreas Gnirke & Ryan A. Bronson & Lucas R. van Dijk & Christopher A. Desjardins & Christian Matranga & James Qu & Jesús Bazan V, 2024. "Distinct Escherichia coli transcriptional profiles in the guts of recurrent UTI sufferers revealed by pangenome hybrid selection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.

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