Featured Publications
Within-host microevolution of Streptococcus pneumoniae is rapid and adaptive during natural colonisation
Chaguza C, Senghore M, Bojang E, Gladstone RA, Lo SW, Tientcheu PE, Bancroft RE, Worwui A, Foster-Nyarko E, Ceesay F, Okoi C, McGee L, Klugman KP, Breiman RF, Barer MR, Adegbola RA, Antonio M, Bentley SD, Kwambana-Adams BA. Within-host microevolution of Streptococcus pneumoniae is rapid and adaptive during natural colonisation. Nature Communications 2020, 11: 3442. PMID: 32651390, PMCID: PMC7351774, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17327-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNatural colonisationHost microevolutionNucleotide substitution ratesWhole-genome sequencingGenomic evolutionNeutral evolutionGenetic diversityHomologous recombinationParallel evolutionGenomic changesAdhesion genesSubstitution ratesHuman-adapted pathogenMicroevolutionStrain variantsColonisationImmune evasionStreptococcus pneumoniaeAntibiotic resistanceGenesEvolutionSequencingDiversityNasopharyngeal carriageBacteria
2020
Bacterial genome-wide association study of hyper-virulent pneumococcal serotype 1 identifies genetic variation associated with neurotropism
Chaguza C, Yang M, Cornick JE, du Plessis M, Gladstone RA, Kwambana-Adams BA, Lo SW, Ebruke C, Tonkin-Hill G, Peno C, Senghore M, Obaro SK, Ousmane S, Pluschke G, Collard JM, Sigaùque B, French N, Klugman KP, Heyderman RS, McGee L, Antonio M, Breiman RF, von Gottberg A, Everett DB, Kadioglu A, Bentley SD. Bacterial genome-wide association study of hyper-virulent pneumococcal serotype 1 identifies genetic variation associated with neurotropism. Communications Biology 2020, 3: 559. PMID: 33033372, PMCID: PMC7545184, DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01290-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGenome-wide association studiesPneumococcal serotype 1Genetic variationBacterial genome-wide association studiesAssociation studiesSerotype 1Central nervous system infectionSignificant genotype-phenotype associationsNervous system infectionGenotype-phenotype associationsHelicase proteinPopulation structureCNS infectionsSystem infectionNegligible heritabilityMeningitis outbreakCNS tissueCerebrospinal fluidImmune evasionSerotype 1 strainPneumococcal survivalPolygenic etiologySmall effect sizesMeningitisTropism
2018
Emergence of Double- and Triple-Gene Reassortant G1P[8] Rotaviruses Possessing a DS-1-Like Backbone after Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction in Malawi
Jere KC, Chaguza C, Bar-Zeev N, Lowe J, Peno C, Kumwenda B, Nakagomi O, Tate JE, Parashar UD, Heyderman RS, French N, Cunliffe NA, Iturriza-Gomara M. Emergence of Double- and Triple-Gene Reassortant G1P[8] Rotaviruses Possessing a DS-1-Like Backbone after Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction in Malawi. Journal Of Virology 2018, 92: e01246-17. PMID: 29142125, PMCID: PMC5774894, DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01246-17.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRotavirus vaccineVaccine introductionVaccine effectivenessVaccine-induced neutralizing antibodiesMultiple African countriesRotavirus gastroenteritis casesRotavirus vaccine introductionChildhood immunization programsCareful evaluationVaccine escape mutantsDS-1-like backboneSuch atypical strainsRotavirus gastroenteritisImmunization scheduleNeutralizing antibodiesAmino acid substitutionsImmunization programsPostvaccine eraHigh burdenGastroenteritis casesImmune evasionEscape mutantsHuman WaDS-1-like rotavirusesRotavirus