Emerging Invasive Group A Streptococcus M1 Lineage Detected by Allele-Specific PCR, England, 2020.

Increasing reports of invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infections mandate surveillance for toxigenic lineage M1. An allele-specific PCR was developed to distinguish M1 from other emm1 strains. The M1 lineage represented 91% of invasive emm1 isolates in England in 2020.

Alterations in chromosomal genes , , and are associated with nitrofurantoin resistance in from the United Kingdom.

Antimicrobial resistance in enteric or urinary is a risk factor for invasive infections. Due to widespread trimethoprim resistance amongst urinary and increased bacteraemia incidence, a national recommendation to prescribe nitrofurantoin for uncomplicated urinary tract infection was made in 2014. Nitrofurantoin resistance is reported in <6% urinary isolates in the UK, however, mechanisms underpinning nitrofurantoin resistance in these isolates remain unknown.

Emergence of dominant toxigenic M1T1 Streptococcus pyogenes clone during increased scarlet fever activity in England: a population-based molecular epidemiological study.

Background: Since 2014, England has seen increased scarlet fever activity unprecedented in modern times. In 2016, England's scarlet fever seasonal rise coincided with an unexpected elevation in invasive Streptococcus pyogenes infections. We describe the molecular epidemiological investigation of these events.

Rgg-Shp regulators are important for pneumococcal colonization and invasion through their effect on mannose utilization and capsule synthesis.

Microbes communicate with each other by using quorum sensing (QS) systems and modulate their collective 'behavior' for in-host colonization and virulence, biofilm formation, and environmental adaptation. The recent increase in genome data availability reveals the presence of several putative QS sensing circuits in microbial pathogens, but many of these have not been functionally characterized yet, despite their possible utility as drug targets. To increase the repertoire of functionally characterized QS systems in bacteria, we studied Rgg144/Shp144 and Rgg939/Shp939, two putative QS systems in the important human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae.

CodY Regulates Thiol Peroxidase Expression as Part of the Pneumococcal Defense Mechanism against HO Stress.

is a facultative anaerobic pathogen. Although it maintains fermentative metabolism, during aerobic growth pneumococci produce high levels of HO, which can have adverse effects on cell viability and DNA, and influence pneumococcal interaction with its host. The pneumococcus is unusual in its dealing with toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) in that it neither has catalase nor the global regulators of peroxide stress resistance.

Pneumococcal 6-Phospho-β-Glucosidase (BglA3) Is Involved in Virulence and Nutrient Metabolism.

For the generation of energy, the important human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae relies on host-derived sugars, including β-glucoside analogs. The catabolism of these nutrients involves the action of 6-phospho-β-glucosidase to convert them into usable monosaccharaides. In this study, we characterized a 6-phospho-β-glucosidase (BglA3) encoded by SPD_0247.