The global evolutionary dynamics of natural capsule switching in a human-restricted bacterial pathogen
Chrispin Chaguza, Anna York, Stephanie W. Lo, Akuzike Kalizang’oma, Rebecca A. Gladstone, Brenda Kwambana-Adams, Rory J. Cave, Keith P. Klugman, Cheryl P. Andam, Robert S. Heyderman, Lesley McGee, Jason W. Rosch, Nicholas J. Croucher, Stephen D. Bentley, Daniel M. Weinberger
This study examines capsule switching in Streptococcus pneumoniae using whole-genome sequences, finding that switching is limited to specific capsule-type pairs and influenced by genetic and ecological factors.
bioRxiv · Sep 30, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology