Dynamic Pneumococcal Genetic Adaptations Support Bacterial Growth and Inflammation during Coinfection with Influenza.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is one of the primary bacterial pathogens that complicates influenza virus infections. These bacterial coinfections increase influenza-associated morbidity and mortality through a number of immunological and viral-mediated mechanisms, but the specific bacterial genes that contribute to postinfluenza pathogenicity are not known. Here, we used genome-wide transposon mutagenesis (Tn-Seq) to reveal bacterial genes that confer improved fitness in influenza virus-infected hosts. The majority of the 32 genes identified are involved in bacterial metabolism, including nucleotide biosynthesis, amino acid biosynthesis, protein translation, and membrane transport. We generated mutants with single-gene deletions (SGD) of five of the genes identified, SPD1414, SPD

SUBMITTER: Smith AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8208518 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature