The Houston Methodist Research Institute researchers are studying a newly emerged strain of bacteria called Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) due to a concerning increase in global rates of severe invasive infections becoming resistant to key antibiotics. SDSE infects humans via various routes, causing infections ranging from strep throat to necrotizing fasciitis. Despite being closely related to group A streptococcus, little is known about SDSE. The study’s findings are published in the journal mBio, with Dr. James M. Musser as the corresponding author.
To address the limited understanding of SDSE molecular pathogenesis, the Houston Methodist team used an integrative approach to study 120 human isolates of a particular SDSE subtype, stG62647. They analyzed the subtype’s genome, transcriptome, and virulence in order to gain insight into how it causes disease. The stG62647 SDSE strains have been reported to cause unusually severe infections, making them important to study. The researchers’ analysis provided new data about this emerging pathogen and is valuable for vaccine research, as well as generating new questions and hypotheses for further investigation.
Collaborators on this study included researchers from the Center for Infectious Diseases in the Houston Methodist Research Institute and Université Rennes in France. The studies received funding from the Fondren Foundation. This research is important in the face of increasing rates of antibiotic resistance in severe invasive infections, highlighting the need to understand the molecular pathogenesis of emerging bacterial pathogens like SDSE.
The integrative analysis of the SDSE subtype stG62647 by the Houston Methodist team sheds light on the genetic makeup, gene expression profile, and virulence of the bacteria. This comprehensive approach deepened the researchers’ understanding of how SDSE causes disease and provides valuable data for vaccine research. By studying the relationships and interplay between these different factors, the researchers were able to gain a richer understanding of the pathogenesis of this emerging pathogen.
Overall, the study of SDSE by the Houston Methodist Research Institute offers important insights into an emerging bacterial pathogen that has been causing severe infections in humans. The integrative analysis provided new data, raised new questions, and generated hypotheses for further investigation. Understanding the molecular pathogenesis of SDSE is crucial in the face of increasing rates of antibiotic-resistant infections, and this research contributes valuable information that can inform future vaccine development and treatment strategies.