Streptococcus pneumoniae has a complex relationship with its obligate human host. On the
one hand, the pneumococci are highly adapted commensals, and their main reservoir on the …

Members of the GroEL/HSP60 protein family have been studied for many years because of
their critical roles as ATP-dependent molecular chaperones, so it might come as a surprise …

The brain is well protected against microbial invasion by cellular barriers, such as the blood-
brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB). In addition, cells …

The pneumococcus is the classic Gram-positive extracellular pathogen. The medical burden
of diseases it causes is amongst the greatest in the world. Intense study for more than 100 …

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a major cause of worldwide mortality and
morbidity, and to a large extent is vaccine-preventable. Nasopharyngeal carriage of …

The single gene, single protein, single function hypothesis is increasingly becoming
obsolete. Numerous studies have demonstrated that individual proteins can moonlight …

Elongation factor thermal unstable Tu (EF-Tu) is a G protein that catalyzes the binding of
aminoacyl-tRNA to the A-site of the ribosome inside living cells. Structural and biochemical …

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

Pneumococcal meningitis continues to be associated with high rates of mortality and long-
term neurological sequelae. The most common route of infection starts by nasopharyngeal …

Streptococci readily colonize mucosal tissues in the nasopharynx; the respiratory,
gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts; and the skin. Each ecological niche presents a …