A New Pneumococcal Serotype, 11E, Has a Variably InactivatedwcjEGene

• DOI: 10.1086/653123
• Publication Date: 2010-05-27T17:23:21Z
• Authors: Juan J. Calix; Moon H. Nahm
• Keywords: Strain (injury)

Recently, 2 serologically and biochemically distinct subtypes—11Aα 11Aβ—were discovered among serotype 11A isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Sequence comparison the capsular polysaccharide synthesis (cps) loci subtypes identified disruption wcjE gene, a putative O-acetyltransferase, as genetic hallmark 11Aβ phenotype. Directed in vitro an 11Aα strain switched to phenotype, confirming role played by gene divergence between subtypes. Furthermore, sequences from 7 clinical strains each contained unrelated disruptive mutations displaying unprecedented degree heterogeneity pneumococcal .We propose name subtype 11E, new serotype. Our findings also suggest that diversity capsules is much greater than was previously recognized.