The metabolic, microbial and immunological demands of pneumococcal colonisation

Daniel R. Neill; Thomas B. Clarke

doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1013675

The metabolic, microbial and immunological demands of pneumococcal colonisation

Daniel R. Neill (Lead / Corresponding author)
, Thomas B. Clarke (Lead / Corresponding author)

Molecular Microbiology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) causes a range of life-threatening diseases including pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. Despite widespread vaccine deployment, pneumococcal disease remains a leading cause of global mortality. The human nasopharynx is its principal ecological niche, and all pneumococcal disease originates from this reservoir of organisms. Acute infections are, however, an evolutionary dead-end for the pneumococcus. What sustains the pneumococcus within human populations are cycles of colonisation and transmission. To persist within the nasopharynx, it must overcome the physical and immunological barriers established by the host while acquiring sufficient nutrients to proliferate in the face of competing airway microbes. Here, we outline the metabolic, microbial, and immunological challenges of colonisation, and the often-competing demands of transmission, which together have shaped the pneumococcus into one of the most formidable human pathogens.

Original language	English
Article number	e1013675
Number of pages	16
Journal	PLoS Pathogens
Volume	21
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013675
Publication status	Published - 13 Nov 2025

Keywords

Streptococcus pneumoniae/immunology
Humans
Pneumococcal Infections/immunology
Nasopharynx/microbiology
Animals

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1371/journal.ppat.1013675Licence: CC BY

Final published versionFinal published version, 895 KBLicence: CC BY

The Impact of Thermally-Regulated Cell Wall Modifications on Streptococcus Pneumoniae Pathogenesis (Joint with University of Liverpool and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay)
Neill, D. (Investigator)
1/12/23 → 30/11/26
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{562405d501af4231b29b5c75f6215234,

title = "The metabolic, microbial and immunological demands of pneumococcal colonisation",

abstract = "Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) causes a range of life-threatening diseases including pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. Despite widespread vaccine deployment, pneumococcal disease remains a leading cause of global mortality. The human nasopharynx is its principal ecological niche, and all pneumococcal disease originates from this reservoir of organisms. Acute infections are, however, an evolutionary dead-end for the pneumococcus. What sustains the pneumococcus within human populations are cycles of colonisation and transmission. To persist within the nasopharynx, it must overcome the physical and immunological barriers established by the host while acquiring sufficient nutrients to proliferate in the face of competing airway microbes. Here, we outline the metabolic, microbial, and immunological challenges of colonisation, and the often-competing demands of transmission, which together have shaped the pneumococcus into one of the most formidable human pathogens.",

keywords = "Streptococcus pneumoniae/immunology, Humans, Pneumococcal Infections/immunology, Nasopharynx/microbiology, Animals",

author = "Neill, \{Daniel R.\} and Clarke, \{Thomas B.\}",

note = "Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Neill, Clarke. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.",

year = "2025",

month = nov,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1371/journal.ppat.1013675",

language = "English",

volume = "21",

journal = "PLoS Pathogens",

issn = "1553-7366",

publisher = "Public Library of Science",

number = "11",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The metabolic, microbial and immunological demands of pneumococcal colonisation

AU - Neill, Daniel R.

AU - Clarke, Thomas B.

N1 - Copyright: © 2025 Neill, Clarke. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

PY - 2025/11/13

Y1 - 2025/11/13

N2 - Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) causes a range of life-threatening diseases including pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. Despite widespread vaccine deployment, pneumococcal disease remains a leading cause of global mortality. The human nasopharynx is its principal ecological niche, and all pneumococcal disease originates from this reservoir of organisms. Acute infections are, however, an evolutionary dead-end for the pneumococcus. What sustains the pneumococcus within human populations are cycles of colonisation and transmission. To persist within the nasopharynx, it must overcome the physical and immunological barriers established by the host while acquiring sufficient nutrients to proliferate in the face of competing airway microbes. Here, we outline the metabolic, microbial, and immunological challenges of colonisation, and the often-competing demands of transmission, which together have shaped the pneumococcus into one of the most formidable human pathogens.

AB - Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) causes a range of life-threatening diseases including pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. Despite widespread vaccine deployment, pneumococcal disease remains a leading cause of global mortality. The human nasopharynx is its principal ecological niche, and all pneumococcal disease originates from this reservoir of organisms. Acute infections are, however, an evolutionary dead-end for the pneumococcus. What sustains the pneumococcus within human populations are cycles of colonisation and transmission. To persist within the nasopharynx, it must overcome the physical and immunological barriers established by the host while acquiring sufficient nutrients to proliferate in the face of competing airway microbes. Here, we outline the metabolic, microbial, and immunological challenges of colonisation, and the often-competing demands of transmission, which together have shaped the pneumococcus into one of the most formidable human pathogens.

KW - Streptococcus pneumoniae/immunology

KW - Humans

KW - Pneumococcal Infections/immunology

KW - Nasopharynx/microbiology

KW - Animals

U2 - 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013675

DO - 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013675

M3 - Review article

C2 - 41231805

SN - 1553-7366

VL - 21

JO - PLoS Pathogens

JF - PLoS Pathogens

IS - 11

M1 - e1013675

ER -

The metabolic, microbial and immunological demands of pneumococcal colonisation

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

The Impact of Thermally-Regulated Cell Wall Modifications on Streptococcus Pneumoniae Pathogenesis (Joint with University of Liverpool and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay)

Cite this