Featured Publications
Population genomics of Group B Streptococcus reveals the genetics of neonatal disease onset and meningeal invasion
Chaguza C, Jamrozy D, Bijlsma M, Kuijpers T, van de Beek D, van der Ende A, Bentley S. Population genomics of Group B Streptococcus reveals the genetics of neonatal disease onset and meningeal invasion. Nature Communications 2022, 13: 4215. PMID: 35864107, PMCID: PMC9304382, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31858-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPopulation genomicsMicrobial population genomicsGroup B streptococciWide association studyPopulation structureGenetic variationGenetic signaturesCapsule biosynthesis locusDisease onset timeAssociation studiesB streptococciInvasive neonatal GBS diseaseNeonatal GBS diseaseGenomicsPathogen surveillanceAcute invasive diseaseGeneticsOnset timeDisease pathogenesisGBS diseasePreterm birthTissue infectionsDisease burdenDisease onsetInvasive disease
2022
Novel Multilocus Sequence Typing and Global Sequence Clustering Schemes for Characterizing the Population Diversity of Streptococcus mitis
Kalizang’oma A, Kwambana-Adams B, Chan J, Viswanath A, Gori A, Richard D, Jolley K, Lees J, Goldblatt D, Beleza S, Bentley S, Heyderman R, Chaguza C. Novel Multilocus Sequence Typing and Global Sequence Clustering Schemes for Characterizing the Population Diversity of Streptococcus mitis. Journal Of Clinical Microbiology 2022, 61: e00802-22. PMID: 36515506, PMCID: PMC9879099, DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00802-22.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSequence clustersPathogenic streptococcal speciesMultilocus sequence typing (MLST) schemePopulation diversitySingle-nucleotide polymorphism distancesSequence typesSequence typing schemeUnique sequence typesGenetic diversityPopulation structureBacterial population diversityMolecular typing toolsS. mitisHousekeeping genesSequence fragmentsMLST schemeDiversityOpportunistic pathogenStreptococcus mitisStreptococcal speciesTyping toolSpeciesNew insightsTyping schemeMultilocus sequence typing
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