Lipoteichoic acid mediates binding of <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> and influenza A virus.

ABSTRACT: Synergy between influenza A virus (IAV) and Streptococcus pneumoniae is a long-recognized and clinically important problem. Recent work has demonstrated that IAV particles can directly bind to the bacterial surface and that bacterial-viral complexes exhibit enhanced bacterial colonization and invasive disease, increased viral environmental survival leading to increased efficacy of airborne transmission, and enhanced vaccine response to both pathogens over simultaneous co-infection without direct interactions. However, the molecule(s) responsible for mediating the direct interaction are yet to be characterized. In this study, we demonstrate that the broadly conserved Gram-positive bacterial cell wall glycan lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is one of the molecules that can mediate this interac

SUBMITTER: Penix T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12724309 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature