Global population structure and phase variation of serotype 12F Streptococcus pneumoniae following the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
Abstract
Background: After the global deployment of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), serotype 12F has become the predominant serotype responsible for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) worldwide. As PCVs that include serotype 12F are gradually introduced, we aim to characterise the global population structure and genetic diversity of the 12F capsule locus using whole-genome sequencing. Capsule variants with vaccine evasion potential were further investigated by functional experiments.
Methods: A global collection of pneumococcal serotype 12F genomes (n=806) from 37 countries across six continents were included in this study. To characterise the serotype 12F population, Global Pneumococcal Sequence Cluster (GPSC), in silico serotype, and antimicrobial resistance profile were inferred from whole-genome data for each isolate. The capsule biosynthesis ( cps ) locus was analysed for gene content variations that could alter polysaccharide capsule production or structure, thereby influencing recognition by vaccine-induced antibodies. These isolates were further investigated by assessing their capsule production using immunofluorescence assays and its susceptibility to vaccine-elicited antibody killing by opsonophagocytosis assays.
Findings: The global increase in serotype 12F was driven by both distinct pneumococcal lineages across different continents, and a globally-disseminated and multidrug-resistant lineage GPSC26. We identified six capsule variants in nine isolates that had…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Understanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield. A case study in Eastern Zimbabwe
- Alarming situation of emerging H5 and H7 avian influenza and effective control strategies
- Livestock and food security: vulnerability to population growth and climate change
- Atmosphere–ocean oxygen and productivity dynamics during early animal radiations
- Characterization of the global distribution and diversified plasmid reservoirs of the colistin resistance gene mcr-9
- The global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.