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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Capsular Serotyping of Streptococcus pneumoniae Using the Quellung Reaction
Published on: February 24, 2014
Characterization of the type 8 capsular gene cluster of Streptococcus pneumoniae
R Muñoz1, M Mollerach, R López
1Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
The complete nucleotide sequence of the capsular gene cluster (cap8) responsible for the biosynthesis of the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 8 has been determined. The cap8 gene cluster, located between the genes dexB and aliA, is composed of 12 open reading frames. A 14.7-kb DNA fragment embracing the cap8 genes was sufficient to transform an unencapsulated type 3 S. pneumoniae strain to a strain with the type 8 capsule. A possible scenario for the evolution of pneumococcal types 2 and 8 is outlined.
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