Influenza A Virus Coinfection Alters Streptococcus pneumoniae Gene Expression during Upper Respiratory Tract Colonization

In contrast, IAV coinfection induced a markedly distinct transcriptional signature, including upregulation of branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis, bacteriocin production, and phosphate acquisition systems. Notably, the pilus islet-1 locus was upregulated during Spn-IAV coinfection. Functional studies demonstrated that while the pilus was dispensable for colonization under mono- and coinfection conditions, it promoted high-shedding events and enhanced inflammatory responses during IAV coinfection.

However, reduced inflammation and reduced high shedding events from pups inoculated with a pilus-deficient mutant did not alter transmission frequency in the infant mouse model. Collectively, our findings define the in vivo transcriptional landscape of Spn during URT colonization and reveal distinct bacterial adaptations during viral coinfection, providing insight into mechanisms that influence pneumococcal persistence, inflammation, and transmission.