Characterization of the Competitive Pneumocin Peptides of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Abstract excerpt

In the polymicrobial environment of the human nasopharynx, Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) competes with other members of the microbial community for limited nutrients in part by secreting small peptide bacteriocins called pneumocins. Pneumocin production is controlled by a quorum sensing system encoded by the blp locus. Although the locus is found in all pneumococci, there is significant variability in...