Inhibitory effect of capsule on natural transformation of <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i>.

ABSTRACT: The capsule of Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) is highly heterogeneous based on the expression of distinct polysaccharides. Spn transformation, controlled by the Com regulon, has been predominantly studied using unencapsulated laboratory strains. However, genomic studies revealed different rates of recombination events in clinical isolates of different serotypes. As these isolates were genetically distinct beyond capsule-encoding genes, the exact relationship between transformation and capsule remains unclear. Herein, we compared the transformability of a collection of isogenic capsule-switch strains. Strains with different capsule types and amounts significantly differed in their transformation frequency, with the unencapsulated strain having a higher frequency compare

SUBMITTER: Ma SX 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12506006 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature