Evidence of Reduced Virulence and Increased Colonization Among Pneumococcal Isolates of Serotype 3 Clade II Lineage in Mice.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39052735.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1093/infdis/jiae038 and PMC identifier 11272092.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Recent phylogenetic profiling of pneumococcal serotype 3 (Pn3) isolates revealed a dynamic interplay among major lineages with the emergence and global spread of a variant termed clade II. The cause of Pn3 clade II dissemination along with epidemiological and clinical ramifications are currently unknown. Here, we sought to explore biological characteristics of dominant Pn3 clades in a mouse model of pneumococcal invasive disease and carriage. Carriage and virulence potential were strain dependent with marked differences among clades. We found that clinical isolates from Pn3 clade II are less virulent and less invasive in mice compared to clade I isolates. We also observed that clade II isolates are carried for longer and at higher bacterial densities in mice compared to clade I isolates. Taken together, our data suggest that the epidemiological success of Pn3 clade II could be related to alterations in the pathogen's ability to cause invasive disease and to establish a robust carriage episode.
Medical subject headings
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Pneumococcal Infections
- Carrier State
- Serogroup