title: Immune-protective antibodies against capsular polysaccharides do not affect natural competence of Streptococcus pneumoniae: implications for current conjugate vaccination strategies?
abstract: We studied the effect of opsonization of Streptococcus pneumoniae with capsular antibodies on horizontal transfer of DNA. Opsonization did not inhibit DNA uptake. This suggests that horizontal transfer of capsular genes, which is an important escape mechanism of the pathogen, remains a potential threat for the efficacy of conjugate vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sophia Children's Hospital, Laboratory of Pediatrics/room Ee 1500, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Overweg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sluijter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srodzinski
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Hermans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial