Exploring metal availability in the natural niche of Streptococcus pneumoniae to discover potential vaccine antigens.

ABSTRACT: Nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae is a prerequisite for pneumococcal transmission and disease. Current vaccines protect only against disease and colonization caused by a limited number of serotypes, consequently allowing serotype replacement and transmission. Therefore, the development of a broadly protective vaccine against colonization, transmission and disease is desired but requires a better understanding of pneumococcal adaptation to its natural niche. Hence, we measured the levels of free and protein-bound transition metals in human nasal fluid, to determine the effect of metal concentrations on the growth and proteome of S. pneumoniae. Pneumococci cultured in medium containing metal levels comparable to nasal fluid showed a highly distinct proteom

SUBMITTER: van Beek LF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7550026 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature