Comparative Genomics of Streptococcus oralis Identifies Large Scale Homologous Recombination and a Genetic Variant Associated with Infection.

ABSTRACT: The viridans group streptococci (VGS) are a large consortium of commensal streptococci that colonize the human body. Many species within this group are opportunistic pathogens causing bacteremia and infective endocarditis (IE), yet little is known about why some strains cause invasive disease. Identification of virulence determinants is complicated by the difficulty of distinguishing between the closely related species of this group. Here, we analyzed genomic data from VGS that were isolated from blood cultures in patients with invasive infections and oral swabs of healthy volunteers and then determined the best-performing methods for species identification. Using whole-genome sequence data, we characterized the population structure of a diverse sample of Streptococcus oralis isolates and

SUBMITTER: Joyce LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9769543 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature