title: Discovery of Streptococcus pneumoniae serogroup 35 variants in Australian patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from Australian invasive pneumococcal disease cases displaying an atypical 35B phenotype. Whole genome sequencing was used to analyse these strains and identify changes to the capsule gene regions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four atypical serogroup 35 isolates from Australian reference laboratories were unable to be assigned to one of the four known group 35 serotypes by the Quellung serotyping method. Genetic characterization of the capsule locus was performed by bioinformatic analysis of whole genome sequencing data for all isolates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genetic analysis identified four independent disruptions to the wciG gene, which encodes an O-acetyltransferase responsible for the O-acetylation of the 6Galβ1 residue in the capsular polysaccharide repeat unit of serotype 35B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first published report on the incidence and capsular gene characteristics of a S. pneumoniae 35B variant.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Coopers Plains, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: megan.staples@health.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Staples
authors.affiliation: Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Coopers Plains, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: R M A
authors.initials: RMA
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Coopers Plains, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.affiliation: Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strachan
authors.affiliation: Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, The Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves da Silva
authors.affiliation: PathWest Laboratory, Western Australia Department of Health, QEII Medical Centre, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peverall
authors.affiliation: PathWest Laboratory, Western Australia Department of Health, QEII Medical Centre, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wicks
authors.affiliation: Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Coopers Plains, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Jennison
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D065288:Serogroup; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000073336:Whole Genome Sequencing
keywords: Atypical pneumococcal serotype; Pneumococcal capsule; Quellung reaction; Serotype 35B; Streptococcus pneumoniae