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Nasopharyngeal colonization by the Gram-positive bacteriumStreptococcus pneumoniae is a prerequisite for pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal diseases. Colonization is asymptomatic, involving dynamic and complex interplay between commensals, the host immune system, and environmental factors. The elderly are at an increased risk of developing pneumonia, which might be due to changes in the respiratory microbiota that would impact bacterial colonization and persistence within this niche. We hypothesized that the composition of the upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiota changes with age and subsequently can contribute to sustained colonization and inefficient clearance ofS. pneumoniae . To test this, we used a mouse model of pneumococcal colonization to compare the composition of the URT microbiota in young, middle-aged, and old mice in the naive state and during the course of colonization using nasal pharyngeal washes. Sequencing of variable region 3 (V3) of the 16S rRNA gene was used to identify changes occurring with age and throughout the course ofS. pneumoniae colonization. We discovered that age affects the composition of the URT microbiota and that colonization withS. pneumoniae is more disruptive of preexisting communities in older mice. We have further shown that host-pathogen interactions followingS. pneumoniae colonization can impact the populations of resident microbes, includingStaphylococcus andHaemophilus . Together, our findings indicate alterations to the URT microbiota could be detrimental to the elderly, resulting in increased colonization ofS. pneumoniae and decreased efficiency in its clearance.

Streptococcus pneumoniae Colonization Disrupts the Microbial Community within the Upper Respiratory Tract of Aging Mice