Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Pneumococcal Capsular Polysaccharide Renders the Bacterium Vulnerable to Host Defense

Despite a century of investigation, Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a major human pathogen, causing a number of diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis, and otitis media. Like many encapsulated pathogens, the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of S. pneumoniae is a critical component for colonization and virulence in mammalian hosts.