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Bacterial Factors Required for Transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Mammalian Hosts

Hannah M Rowe1, Erik Karlsson1, Haley Echlin1

  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.

Cell Host & Microbe
|May 26, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Identifying bacterial factors is key to understanding Streptococcus pneumoniae transmission. Targeting surface proteins like PiaA and CppA via maternal vaccination offers a promising strategy to block transmission and prevent invasive pneumococcal disease.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Vaccinology

Background:

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae transmission and colonization are crucial for disease but poorly understood.
  • Bacterial mechanisms driving pneumococcal spread to new hosts remain largely unknown.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is vital for controlling invasive pneumococcal disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify bacterial factors essential for Streptococcus pneumoniae transmission.
  • To evaluate novel vaccine strategies targeting transmission.

Main Methods:

  • High-throughput genetic screening using transposon sequencing (Tn-seq) in a ferret model.
  • Validation of identified genes (CppA, PiaA, ComD) through targeted deletion in a mouse model.
  • Assessment of maternal vaccination efficacy using recombinant surface proteins (PiaA, CppA).

Main Results:

  • Genetic screen identified key bacterial metabolism and transcriptional regulation factors for transmission.
  • Deletion of CppA, PiaA, or ComD significantly reduced pneumococcal transmissibility.
  • Maternal vaccination with recombinant PiaA and CppA effectively blocked offspring transmission, outperforming capsule-based vaccines.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial factors, including CppA and PiaA, are critical for Streptococcus pneumoniae transmission.
  • Targeting pneumococcal transmission through maternal vaccination with surface proteins is a viable strategy.
  • This approach holds potential for eliminating invasive pneumococcal disease.
Keywords:
Streptococcus pneumoniaeferretinfluenzatransmission

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