Epidemiological studies of the naturally transformable bacterial pathogen Streptococcus
pneumoniae have previously been confounded by high rates of recombination. Sequencing …

The development of bacterial disease has been likened to a 'molecular arms race', in which
the host tries to eliminate the bacteria, while the bacteria try to survive in the host. Although …

For many years the virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae has largely been attributed to
its antiphagocytic polysaccharide capsule. Recent evidence, however, indicates that certain …

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis.
Pneumococci can be divided into> 90 serotypes that show differences in the pathogenicity and …

Mice were infected intranasally with a serotype 2 pneumococcus, a pneumolysin-negative
derivative (PLN-A), or an autolysin-negative derivative (AL-2). Numbers of wild type …

We have identified in the Streptococcus pneumoniaegenome sequence a two-component
system (TCS13, Blp [bacteriocin-like peptide]) which is closely related to quorum-sensing …

Pneumolysin is the thiol-activated cytolysin produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Mice
were immunized with a genetically engineered toxoid version of pneumolysin, which was …

Surface proteins of Gram-positive pathogens play various key roles in pathogenicity. Therefore,
these proteins are of great interest in terms of understanding the infection process and …

The cholesterol-dependent cytolysins are pore-forming toxins. Pneumolysin is the cytolysin
produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae and is a key virulence factor. The protein contains …

In pneumococcal meningitis it is assumed that bacteria cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB),
which consists mainly of cerebral endothelial cells. The effect of Streptococcus …