title: Whole Genome Sequencing of 39 Invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae Sequence Type 199 Isolates Revealed Switches from Serotype 19A to 15B.
abstract: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major pathogen that causes different invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD). The pneumococcal polysaccharide capsule is a main virulence factor. More than 94 capsule types have been described, but only a limited number of capsule types accounted for the majority of IPD cases before the introduction of pneumococcal vaccines. After the introduction of the conjugated pneumococcal vaccine PCV7, which covered the seven most frequent serotypes in IPD in the USA, an increase in IPD caused by non-vaccine serotypes was observed, and serotype 19A, which belongs to sequence type (ST) 199, was among the most prevalent STs. After the introduction of the extended vaccine PCV13, which includes serotype 19A, serogroup 15B/C increased in IPD. Therefore, whole genome sequences of 39 isolates of ST199 from Germany (collected between 1998 and 2011) with serotype 19A (n = 24) and serogroup 15B/C (n = 15) were obtained using an Illumina platform and were analysed to identify capsular switches within ST199. Two 19A to 15B/C serotype switch events were identified. Both events occurred before the introduction of PCV7, which indicates that a capsular switch from 19A to 15B among ST199 isolates is not unusual and is not directly linked to the vaccination. The observed serotype replacement appears to be the result of a vacant niche due to the displacement of vaccine serotypes that is now successfully occupied by ST199 clones.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliwia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4404-1862
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Makarewicz
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Leonie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albersmeier
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9722-4435
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rückert
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blom
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goesmann
authors.affiliation: German National Reference Center of Streptococci, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6574-4313
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Linden
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalinowski
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathias W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Pletz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001482:Base Composition / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D059646:Genome Size; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012703:Serotyping; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents