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Volume 152, Issue 2

Differential expression of key pneumococcal virulence genes Free

Abstract

Few studies have examined virulence gene expression in . In this study, expression of key pneumococcal virulence genes , , , , , , and in the nasopharynx, lungs and bloodstream of mice was investigated, following intranasal challenge with the serotype 2 strain D39. Bacterial RNA was extracted, linearly amplified and assayed by real-time RT-PCR. At 72 h, mRNA was present at higher levels in the nasopharynx and lungs than in the blood. At this time-point, the mRNAs for PspA and PiaA were most abundant in the nasopharynx, whereas no significant difference in gene expression between niches was observed for , and . Both and mRNAs were present in higher amounts in the nasopharynx than in the lungs or blood. These findings illustrate the dynamic nature of pneumococcal virulence gene expression .

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Revised:
  • Published Online:
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2006-02-01
2024-04-18
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Differential expression of key pneumococcal virulence genes in vivo
Microbiology 152, 305 (2006); https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.28438-0
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.28438-0
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