Genome analysis of clinical pneumococcal isolates to decipher sequence types, antibiotic resistance mechanisms and virulence gene profiles

Introduction Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of meningitis and pneumonia. Various studies have explored the relationship between genome and phenotypic characteristics like antibiotic resistance. Methods Four pneumococcal isolates from clinical specimens were included. DNA was extracted and genomes were sequenced in 2×101bp layout. Standard genome analysis tools and pipelines were employed to understand phenotypic characteristics. Results There was almost perfect agreement of genome-based predictions and phenotypic methods for antibiotic resistance. Novel sequence type (ST) was identified in one of the isolates. In total 29 virulence genes were common for all the isolates.