OHSU researchers unveil how a deadly pathogen alters cell membranes in its quest for survival
The study is a major advance in the understanding of how Streptococcus pneumoniae adapts to diverse environments and causes disease.
OHSU School of Dentistry researchers have found that Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes pneumonia and meningitis, can change its metabolism and even alter its cell membrane to survive in different parts of the body.
Jonathon Baker, Ph.D., assistant professor, biomaterial and biomedical sciences and Matthew Barbisan, a research assistant, are co-authors of a study published Friday, Nov. 21 in Nature Communications.
The researchers discovered surprising behavior, such as the germ not always choosing glucose as its main food source. They also identified a regulator that helps it cope with heat, for example when a patient has a fever.
The bacterium, which lives in the nose and throat, can cause serious or even deadly infections when the immune system is weak. Young children, older adults and immunocompromised people are at particular risk.
These discoveries could help guide the development of new ways to prevent or treat Streptococcus pneumoniae infections.
The following is a conversation the School of Dentistry had with Baker.
School of Dentistry (SOD): Who will find this research most relevant? Can dental patients benefit from knowing about this research?
Jonathon Baker (JB): While Streptococcus pneumoniae typically resides in the human mouth and throat, it is not a dental pathogen specifically. It is a species that becomes pathogenic when it invades other body sites such as the brain (meningitis) or lungs (pneumonia). S. pneumoniae is the primary cause of pneumonia worldwide. Globally, it is the No. 1 cause of death in children younger than 5 years old.
People who will find this research most relevant and important are other teams in the field that are working to develop preventative and therapeutic measures against this deadly pathogen.
The body sites where S. pneumoniae live (mouth, throat, nose, brain, lungs) are different environments with different properties such as available nutrients and temperature.
This study is a major advance in our understanding of how S. pneumoniae adapts to different environments and causes disease.
SOD: Does this advance or change oral care?
JB: In addition to development of new antibiotics, this study is an important step toward other types of therapeutics, such as prebiotics or probiotics, that prevent S. pneumoniae being carried into the throat or S. pneumoniae infection of the lung, specifically.
This study is most important to oral health and overall health, not just teeth.
Story by Rhonda Morin, APR
