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A set of two uncharacterized genes highly susceptible to antibiotics.
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Summary A set of two uncharacterized genes is identified by our inventors, that when inactivated make the bacterium highly susceptible to antibiotics including daptomycin and vancomycin. Background S. pneumoniae is a human nasopharyngeal commensal and respiratory pathogen. It triggers pneumococcal pneumonia, meningitis, and septicemia, which results in ~1 million deaths annually among children 65 yrs.), making it one of the most important bacterial pathogens worldwide. Although vaccination has been successful, it does not result in complete protection. Antibiotics continue to be important as a treatment option, especially in acute disease. However, the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains has become a global problem and with 1.2 million drug-resistant pneumococcal infections annually in the US, and $96 million in excess medical costs, S. pneumoniae is a serious concern. Advantages Novel conditionally important Genes become important under specific conditions (e.g. an antibiotic) Enables combination therapy