PhiD12-Like Livestock-Associated Prophages Are Associated With Novel Subpopulations of Streptococcus agalactiae Infecting Neonates.

ABSTRACT: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of invasive disease in neonates worldwide. Monitoring data have revealed a continuing trend toward an increase in neonatal GBS infections, despite the introduction of preventive measures. We investigated this trend, by performing the first ever characterization of the prophage content for 106 GBS strains causing neonatal infections between 2002 and 2018. We determined whether the genome of each strain harbored prophages, and identified the insertion site of each of the prophages identified. We found that 71.7% of the strains carried at least one prophage, and that prophages genetically similar to livestock-associated phiD12, carrying genes potentially involved in GBS pathogenesis (e.g., genes encoding putative virulence factors and factor

SUBMITTER: Renard A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6546898 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature