AUTHOR=Kuryłek Aleksandra , Stasiak Monika , Kern-Zdanowicz Izabela 

TITLE=Virulence factors of Streptococcus anginosus – a molecular perspective

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1025136

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.1025136

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Streptococcus anginosus</italic> together with <italic>S. constellatus</italic> and <italic>S. intermedius</italic> constitute the <italic>Streptococcus anginosus</italic> group (SAG), until recently considered to be benign commensals of the human mucosa isolated predominantly from oral cavity, but also from upper respiratory, intestinal, and urogenital tracts. For years the virulence potential of SAG was underestimated, mainly due to complications in correct species identification and their assignment to the physiological microbiota. Still, SAG representatives have been associated with purulent infections at oral and non-oral sites resulting in abscesses formation and empyema. Also, life threatening blood infections caused by SAG have been reported. However, the understanding of SAG as potential pathogen is only fragmentary, albeit certain aspects of SAG infection seem sufficiently well described to deserve a systematic overview. In this review we summarize the current state of knowledge of the <italic>S. anginosus</italic> pathogenicity factors and their mechanisms of action.</p>