biostudies-literatureUnknown19(1)Saralahti AKCompetitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility area of Tampere University HospitalTampereen TuberkuloosisäätiöSuomalainen Konkordia-liittoSigrid Juséliuksen SäätiöSuomen KulttuurirahastoOskar Öflunds StiftelseCompetitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility Area of Oulu University HospitalTampereen kaupungin tiederahastoThe University of Tampere FoundationVäinö ja Laina Kiven SäätiöThe Doctoral Programme in Medicine and Life Sciences, Tampere UniversityEmil Aaltosen SäätiöSuomen Tuberkuloosin Vastustamisyhdistyksen SäätiöMaud Kuistilan MuistosäätiöPirkanmaan RahastoStreptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is one of the most frequent causes of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis in humans, and an important cause of mortality among children and the elderly. We have previously reported the suitability of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) larval model for the study of the host-pathogen interactions in pneumococcal infection. In the present study, we characterized the zebrafish innate immune response to pneumococcus in detail through a whole-genome level transcriptome analysis and revealed a well-conserved response to this human pathogen in challenged larvae. In addition, to gain understanding of the genetic factors associated with the increased risk for severe pneumococcal infection in humans, we carried out a medium-scale forward genetic screen in zebrafish. In tPLoS geneticse1010586https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9858863biostudies-literatureCharacterization of the innate immune response to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in zebrafish.PMC9858863Junno MRounioja SSaralahti AKRantapero TKaasinen MNykter MParikka MHarjula SEUusi-Makela MIELohi ORamet MPiippo HfalseCharacterization of the innate immune response to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in zebrafish.Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is one of the most frequent causes of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis in humans, and an important cause of mortality among children and the elderly. We have previously reported the suitability of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) larval model for the study of the host-pathogen interactions in pneumococcal infection. In the present study, we characterized the zebrafish innate immune response to pneumococcus in detail through a whole-genome level transcriptome analysis and revealed a well-conserved response to this human pathogen in challenged larvae. In addition, to gain understanding of the genetic factors associated with the increased risk for severe pneumococcal infection in humans, we carried out a medium-scale forward genetic screen in zebrafish. In t2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Jan2026-05-27T22:45:03.226Z2025-02-19T04:46:01.719ZS-EPMC98588633662285110.1371/journal.pgen.1010586