A. Domenech

Competence remodels the pneumococcal cell wall providing resistance to fratricide and surface exposing key virulence factors

This study shows that competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae is crucial for virulence by increasing surface exposure of virulence factors and providing resistance to fratricide.

Pneumolysin promotes host cell necroptosis and bacterial competence during pneumococcal meningitis as shown by whole animal dual RNA-seq

Fighting the spread of antibiotic resistance with bacterial competence inhibitors

The paper identifies COM-blockers, which inhibit horizontal gene transfer in S. pneumoniae by disrupting competence without affecting growth or antibiotic activity, offering a strategy to reduce antibiotic resistance spread.

Antibiotic-induced cell chaining triggers pneumococcal competence by reshaping quorum sensing to autocrine-like signaling

This study shows that antibiotics like aztreonam and clavulanic acid induce pneumococcal competence by promoting cell chaining, which alters quorum sensing to autocrine-like signaling.

Function of BriC Peptide in the Pneumococcal Competence and Virulence Portfolio

This study identifies BriC as a competence-induced gene in Streptococcus pneumoniae that promotes biofilm development and colonization, with its expression regulated by the ComE master regulator and showing genomic plasticity in some isolates.

High-throughput CRISPRi phenotyping in Streptococcus pneumoniae identifies new essential genes involved in cell wall synthesis and competence development

This study uses CRISPRi to identify essential genes in S. pneumoniae, revealing roles in cell wall synthesis and competence development, and highlights potential antibiotic targets.

Quorum sensing integrates environmental cues, cell density and cell history to control bacterial competence

The paper shows that CSP in Streptococcus pneumoniae integrates cell density, environmental cues, and cell history to control competence, supported by experimental data and a mathematical model.