Structural Biology of the Pneumococcal Surface Proteins : Unraveling the Pathogenesis and Virulence Mechanisms by X-Ray Crystallography

Orateur : Juan A. HERMOSO (Dept. Crystallography & Structural Biology, Inst. Quimica-Fisica «Rocasolano», Spanish National Research Council)

The pneumococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, causes serious and life-threatening infections such as pneumonia, meningitis and septicemia. In spite of the availability of a large number of antibiotics, mortality and morbidity due to S. pneumoniae infections remain very high. Surfaceexposed proteins of pathogenic bacteria are considered as potential virulence factors through their direct contribution to host-pathogen interactions. We have provided some breakthroughs in this area by disclosing the virulence mechanism named « fratricide », the pneumococcal mechanism to escape recognition by immune system or the « chemical war » displayed by pneumococcus to eliminate other bacteria in the same niche. Some of our results in this field will be discussed in the talk.

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