Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
A group A Streptococcus (GAS) lineage of genotype emm3, sequence type 15 (ST15) was associated with a 6 month upsurge in invasive GAS disease in the UK. The epidemic lineage (Lineage C) had lost 2 typical emm3 prophages, ?315.1 and ?315.2 associated with the superantigen ssa, but gained a different prophage (?UK-M3.1) associated with a different superantigen, speC and a DNAse spd1.Methods and results
The presence of speC and spd1 in Lineage C ST15 strains enhanced both in vitro mitogenic and DNase activities over non-Lineage C ST15 strains. Invasive disease models in Galleria mellonella and SPEC-sensitive transgenic mice, revealed no difference in overall invasiveness of Lineage C ST15 strains compared with non-Lineage C ST15 strains, consistent with clinical and epidemiological analysis. Lineage C strains did however markedly prolong murine nasal infection with enhanced nasal and airborne shedding compared with non-Lineage C strains. Deletion of speC or spd1 in 2 Lineage C strains identified a possible role for spd1 in airborne shedding from the murine nasopharynx.Conclusions
Nasopharyngeal infection and shedding of Lineage C strains was enhanced compared with non-Lineage C strains and this was, in part, mediated by the gain of the DNase spd1 through prophage acquisition.
SUBMITTER: Afshar B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5711448 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Afshar Baharak B Turner Claire E CE Lamagni Theresa L TL Smith Ken C KC Al-Shahib Ali A Underwood Anthony A Holden Matthew T G MTG Efstratiou Androulla A Sriskandan Shiranee S
Virulence 20170501 7
<h4>Background</h4>A group A Streptococcus (GAS) lineage of genotype emm3, sequence type 15 (ST15) was associated with a 6 month upsurge in invasive GAS disease in the UK. The epidemic lineage (Lineage C) had lost 2 typical emm3 prophages, Φ315.1 and Φ315.2 associated with the superantigen ssa, but gained a different prophage (ΦUK-M3.1) associated with a different superantigen, speC and a DNAse spd1.<h4>Methods and results</h4>The presence of speC and spd1 in Lineage C ST15 strains enhanced both ...[more]