Genetic Basis Underlying the Hyperhemolytic Phenotype of Streptococcus agalactiae Strain CNCTC10/84
Luchang Zhu, Stephen B. Beres, Prasanti Yerramilli, Layne Pruitt, Concepcion Cantu, Randall J. Olsen, James M. Musser
Abstract
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. GBS strain CNCTC10/84 is a highly virulent blood isolate that has been used extensively to study GBS pathogenesis for over 20 years. Strain CNCTC10/84 has an unusually strong hemolytic activity, but the genetic basis is unknown. In this study, we discovered that a single-nucleotide insertion in an intergenic homopolymeric tract is responsible for the elevated hemolytic activity of CNCTC10/84.
Topics & Concepts
Streptococcus agalactiaeBiologyVirulenceMeningitisStreptococcusMicrobiologyPhenotypeSepsisStrain (injury)Neonatal sepsisPneumoniaPathogenesisVirologyGeneticsGeneBacteriaImmunologyPsychiatryHistoryArchaeologyPsychologyAnatomyNeonatal and Maternal InfectionsStreptococcal Infections and TreatmentsBacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing