Role of conjugative elements in the evolution of the multidrug-resistant pandemic clone Streptococcus pneumoniaeSpain23F ST81.
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a human commensal and pathogen able to cause a variety of diseases that annually result in over a million deaths worldwide. The S. pneumoniae(Spain23F) sequence type 81 lineage was among the first recognized pandemic clones and was responsible for almost 40% of penicillin-resistant pneumococcal infections in the United States in the late 1990s. Analysis of the chromosome sequence of a representative strain, and comparison with other available genomes, indicates roles for integrative and conjugative elements in the evolution of pneumococci and, more particularly, the emergence of the multidrug-resistant Spain 23F ST81 lineage. A number of recently acquired loci within the chromosome appear to encode proteins involved in the production of, or immunity to, antimicrobial compounds, which may contribute to the proficiency of this strain at nasopharyngeal colonization. However, further sequencing of other pandemic clones will be required to establish whether there are any general attributes shared by these strains that are responsible for their international success.
Croucher
Nicholas J
NJ
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. nc3@sanger.ac.uk
Walker
Danielle
D
Romero
Patricia
P
Lennard
Nicola
N
Paterson
Gavin K
GK
Bason
Nathalie C
NC
Mitchell
Andrea M
AM
Quail
Michael A
MA
Andrew
Peter W
PW
Parkhill
Julian
J
Bentley
Stephen D
SD
Mitchell
Tim J
TJ
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004602:Elements; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D044404:Genomic Islands; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D039002:Prophages; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012703:Serotyping; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016662:Virus Integration
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004602:Elements