Transcriptional regulation of the pneumococcal capsule can dictate serotype-specific infection - PubMed
3 days ago
- #Streptococcus pneumoniae
- #capsule serotype
- #transcriptional regulation
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a major bacterial pathogen causing pneumonia and sepsis.
- The pneumococcus has over 107 distinct serotypes defined by capsule composition, which is a key virulence factor and vaccine target.
- Different serotypes vary in effectiveness for colonization or invasiveness, traditionally attributed to capsule chemical properties.
- The study reveals that natural variations in the regulatory region of the cps operon influence transcriptional control, affecting infection outcomes.
- These regulatory variations may allow rapid evolution of capsule expression in response to vaccine pressures without genetic recombination.