AUTHOR=Yu Dingle , Liang Yunmei , Lu Qinghua , Meng Qing , Wang Wenjian , Huang Lu , Bao Yanmin , Zhao Ruizhen , Chen Yunsheng , Zheng Yuejie , Yang Yonghong 

TITLE=Molecular Characteristics of Streptococcus pyogenes Isolated From Chinese Children With Different Diseases

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.722225

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.722225

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Streptococcus pyogenes</italic> is a bacterial pathogen that causes a wide spectrum of clinical diseases exclusively in humans. The distribution of <italic>emm</italic> type, antibiotic resistance and virulence gene expression for <italic>S. pyogenes</italic> varies temporally and geographically, resulting in distinct disease spectra. In this study, we analyzed antibiotic resistance and resistance gene expression patterns among <italic>S. pyogenes</italic> isolates from pediatric patients in China and investigated the relationship between virulence gene expression, <italic>emm</italic> type, and disease categories. Forty-two representative <italic>emm</italic>1.0 and <italic>emm</italic>12.0 strains (<italic>n</italic> = 20 and <italic>n</italic> = 22, respectively) isolated from patients with scarlet fever or obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome were subjected to whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. These strains were further analyzed for susceptibility to vancomycin. We found a high rate and degree of resistance to macrolides and tetracycline in these strains, which mainly expressed <italic>ermB</italic> and <italic>tetM</italic>. The disease category correlated with <italic>emm</italic> type but not superantigens. The distribution of <italic>vanuG</italic> and virulence genes were associated with <italic>emm</italic> type. Previously reported important prophages, such as φHKU16.vir, φHKU488.vir, Φ5005.1, Φ5005.2, and Φ5005.3 encoding streptococcal toxin, and integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) such as ICE-emm12 and ICE-HKU397 encoding macrolide and tetracycline resistance were found present amongst <italic>emm</italic>1 or <italic>emm</italic>12 clones from Shenzhen, China.</p>