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Infection and Immunity, June 1999, p. 2776-2782, Vol. 67, No. 6
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Molecular Characterization of Equine Isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae: Natural Disruption of Genes Encoding the Virulence Factors Pneumolysin and Autolysin

Adrian M. Whatmore,1,* Samantha J. King,1 Neil C. Doherty,1 Daniel Sturgeon,1 Neil Chanter,2 and Christopher G. Dowson1

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL,1 and Animal Health Trust, Newmarket CB8 7DW,2 United Kingdom

Received 6 January 1999/Returned for modification 12 February 1999/Accepted 5 March 1999

Although often considered a strict human pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae has been reported to infect and cause pneumonia in horses, although the pathology appears restricted compared to that of human infections. Here we report on the molecular characterization of a group of S. pneumoniae isolates obtained from horses in England and Ireland. Despite being obtained from geographically distinct locations, the isolates were found to represent a tight clonal group, virtually identical to each other but genetically distinguishable from more than 120 divergent isolates of human S. pneumoniae. A comprehensive analysis of known pneumococcal virulence determinants was undertaken in an attempt to understand the pathogenicity of equine pneumococci. Surprisingly, equine isolates appear to lack activities associated with both the hemolytic cytotoxin pneumolysin, often considered a major virulence factor of pneumococci, and the major autolysin gene lytA, also considered an important virulence factor. In support of phenotypic data, molecular studies demonstrated a deletion of parts of the coding sequences of both lytA and ply genes in equine pneumococci. The implications of these findings for the evolution and pathogenicity of equine S. pneumoniae are discussed.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom. Phone: 44-1203-528359. Fax: 44-1203-523701. E-mail: a.m.whatmore{at}warwick.ac.uk.

Infection and Immunity, June 1999, p. 2776-2782, Vol. 67, No. 6
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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