Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) are the most common bacterial cytotoxic proteins and are
required for virulence in a large number of important pathogens, including Streptococcus …

Pneumococcus remains the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia
worldwide. Streptococcus pneumoniae is well adapted to people, and is a frequent …

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen that colonizes the
mucosal surfaces of the host nasopharynx and upper airway. Through a combination of …

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major pathogen causing pneumonia with over 2 million
deaths annually, especially in young children and the elderly. To date, at least 98 different …

Microbial colonization of mucosal surfaces may be an initial event in the progression to
disease, and it is often a transient process. For the extracellular pathogen Streptococcus …

Pneumolysin (PLY) is a key Streptococcus pneumoniae virulence factor and potential
candidate for inclusion in pneumococcal subunit vaccines. Dendritic cells (DC) play a key …

Acquired immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) has long been assumed
to depend on the presence of anticapsular antibodies. We found, however, that colonization …

Diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae include pneumonia, septicaemia and
meningitis. All these are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The pneumococcus …

Nasopharyngeal colonization is the first step in the interaction between Streptococcus
pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) and its human host. Factors that contribute to clearance of …

The cholesterol-dependent cytolysins are pore-forming toxins. Pneumolysin is the cytolysin
produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae and is a key virulence factor. The protein contains …