CC180 clade dynamics do not universally explain Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 persistence post-vaccine: a...

Background Clonal complex 180 (CC180) is currently the major clone of serotype 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn). The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) does not have significant efficacy against serotype 3 despite polysaccharide inclusion in the vaccine. It was hypothesized that PCV13 may effectively control Clade I of CC180 but that Clades III and IV are resistant, provoking a population shift that enables serotype 3 persistence. This has been observed in the United States, England, and Wales but not Spain. We tested this hypothesis further utilizing a dataset from Portugal. Methods We whole-genome sequenced (WGS) 501 serotype 3 strains from Portugal isolated from patients with pneumococcal infections between 1999-2020. The draft genomes underwent phylogenetic analyses, pangenome profiling, and a genome-wide association study (GWAS). We also completed antibiotic susceptibility testing and compiled over 2,600 serotype 3 multilocus sequence type 180 (MLST180) WGSs to perform global comparative genomics. Findings CC180 Clades I, II, III, IV, and VI distributions were similar when comparing non-invasive pneumonia isolates and invasive disease isolates (Fisher's exact test, P=0.29), and adult and pediatric cases (Fisher's exact test, P=0.074). The serotype 3 CCs shifted post-PCV13 (Fisher's exact test, P<0.0001) and Clade I became dominant. Clade I is largely antibiotic-sensitive and carries the phiOXC141 prophage but the pangenome is heterogenous. Strains from Portugal and Spain, where Clade I remains dominant post-PCV13, have larger pangenomes and are associated with the presence of two genes encoding hypothetical proteins. Interpretation Clade I became dominant in Portugal post-PCV13, despite the burden of the prophage and antibiotic sensitivity. The accessory genome content may mitigate these fitness costs. Regional differences in Clade I prevalence and pangenome heterogeneity suggest that clade dynamics is not a generalizable approach to understanding serotype 3 vaccine escape. Funding National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Pfizer, and Merck Sharp & Dohme.