The Two-Component System YesMN Promotes Pneumococcal Host-to-Host Transmission and Regulates Genes Involved in Zinc Homeostasis.

The ability to sense and respond rapidly to the dynamic environment of the upper respiratory tract (URT) makes Streptococcus pneumoniae () a highly successful human pathogen. Two-component systems (TCSs) of sense and respond to multiple signals it encounters allowing to adapt and thrive in various host sites. TCS have been implicated in their ability to promote pneumococcal colonization of the URT and virulence.