Open AccessSingle Cell Bottlenecks in the Pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae
Author(s) -
Masamitsu Kono,
M. Ammar Zafar,
Marisol Zuniga,
Aoife M. Roche,
Shigeto Hamaguchi,
Jeffrey N. Weiser
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plos pathogens
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.719
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1553-7374
pISSN - 1553-7366
DOI - 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005887
Subject(s) - streptococcus pneumoniae , biology , pathogen , transmission (telecommunications) , virulence , population , microbiology and biotechnology , pneumococcal infections , pathogenesis , bottleneck , virology , innate immune system , immunology , immune system , gene , genetics , medicine , electrical engineering , environmental health , engineering , antibiotics , computer science , embedded system
Herein, we studied a virulent isolate of the leading bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae in an infant mouse model of colonization, disease and transmission, both with and without influenza A (IAV) co-infection. To identify vulnerable points in the multiple steps involved in pneumococcal pathogenesis, this model was utilized for a comprehensive analysis of population bottlenecks. Our findings reveal that in the setting of IAV co-infection the organism must pass through single cell bottlenecks during bloodstream invasion from the nasopharynx within the host and in transmission between hosts. Passage through these bottlenecks was not associated with genetic adaptation by the pathogen. The bottleneck in transmission occurred between bacterial exit from one host and establishment in another explaining why the number of shed organisms in secretions is critical to overcoming it. These observations demonstrate how viral infection, and TLR-dependent innate immune responses it stimulates and that are required to control it, drive bacterial contagion.