Streptococcus pneumoniae in a biofilm are hyper-adhesive, avirulent, and when used as a killed whole-cell vaccine confers protection against lethal challenge

ABSTRACT: For Streptococcus pneumoniae, biofilms have been suggested to promote long-term colonization of the nasopharynx and contribute to the pathology of recurrent middle ear infections. To date numerous studies have investigated the contribution of specific genetic determinants for the development of pneumococcal biofilms, however, studies examining the global changes that occur during biofilm development and how they contribute to disease are lacking. Using Scanning and Transmission electron microscopy we examined development of a mature pneumococcal biofilm in a continuous flow through reactor. We determined that a mature biofilm is formed in discrete stages, is marked by the formation of complex 3-dimensional structures, and is primarily composed of dead pneumococci. Using genomic microarrays

ORGANISM(S): Streptococcus pneumoniae

SUBMITTER: NIKHIL KUMAR 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-26976 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress