The pneumococcus is the classic Gram-positive extracellular pathogen. The medical burden
of diseases it causes is amongst the greatest in the world. Intense study for more than 100 …

Of the many pathogens that infect humans and animals, a large number use cells of the host
organism as protected sites for replication. To reach the relevant intracellular compartments …

Streptococci readily colonize mucosal tissues in the nasopharynx; the respiratory,
gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts; and the skin. Each ecological niche presents a …

Most commensal and pathogenic bacteria interacting with eukaryotic hosts express
adhesive molecules on their surfaces that promote interaction with host cell receptors or with …

In Gram‐positive bacteria proteins are displayed on the cell surface using sortase enzymes.
These cysteine transpeptidases join proteins bearing an appropriate sorting signal to …

The cell wall envelope of Gram-positive bacteria can be thought of as a surface organelle for
the assembly of macromolecular structures that enable the unique lifestyle of each …

Gram‐positive bacteria pose a serious healthcare threat. The growing antibiotic resistance
epidemic creates a dire need for new antibiotic targets. The sortase family of enzymes is a …

Bacterial pili have long been recognized as mediators of initial host–pathogen interactions
important for the progression of Gram-negative bacterial diseases. An appreciation of the …

Being the principal causative agent of bacterial pneumonia, otitis media, meningitis and
septicemia, the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major global health problem. To …

Microbial cells sense and respond to their environment using their surface constituents.
Therefore, understanding the assembly and biophysical properties of cell surface molecules …