Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumoccus) is the leading cause of otitis media,
community-acquired pneumonia, and bacterial meningitis. The success of the …

Complement protein C1q, the recognition molecule of the classical pathway, performs a
diverse range of complement and non-complement functions. It can bind various ligands …

While significant protection from pneumococcal disease has been achieved by the use of
polysaccharide and polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines, capsule-independent …

Bacterial proteases and peptidases are integral to cell physiology and stability, and their
necessity in Streptococcus pneumoniae is no exception. Protein cleavage and processing …

The complement system plays a central role in immune defense against Streptococcus
pneumoniae. In order to evade complement attack, pneumococci have evolved a number of …

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction is associated with an accumulation of neurotoxic
molecules and increased infiltration of peripheral cells within the brain parenchyma …

The genus Streptococcus comprises important pathogens, many of them are part of the
human or animal microbiota. Advances in molecular genetics, taxonomic approaches and …

Host innate and adaptive immunity to infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae is critically
dependent on the complement system, demonstrated by the high incidence of invasive S …

C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is a fluid-phase complement inhibitor that prevents uncontrolled
activation of the classical and lectin complement pathways. As a complement inhibitor …

Complement is a network of soluble and cell surface-associated proteins that gives rise to a
self-amplifying, yet tightly regulated system with fundamental roles in immune surveillance …