{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T04:57:06Z","timestamp":1784696226402,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"PeerJ","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,20]],"date-time":"2019-03-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1553040000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Education, University, and Research","award":["MIUR, grant FUTURO IN RICERCA No. RBFR10X4YN_001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MIUR, grant FUTURO IN RICERCA No. RBFR10X4YN_001"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Globally, <jats:italic>Streptococcus pyogenes<\/jats:italic> poses a continuous burden on human health, causing both self-limiting and life-threatening diseases. Therefore, studying the profile of virulence genes and their combinations is essential to monitor the epidemiology and pathogenic potential of this important species. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze related genetic features of clinical strains collected in Italy in 2012 in order to obtain a valid picture of their virulence profile that could be compared to similar studies made in other countries approximately in the same period. We conducted <jats:italic>emm<\/jats:italic> typing and fibronectin-collagen-T antigen (FCT) region typing in 122 <jats:italic>Streptococcus pyogenes<\/jats:italic> strains. Furthermore, several additional virulence genes were screened by polymerase chain reaction. We found correlations between <jats:italic>emm<\/jats:italic> types and FCT region profiles. <jats:italic>emm1<\/jats:italic> strains were mainly associated with FCT2 and FCT6, while <jats:italic>emm89<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>emm12<\/jats:italic> strains were associated with FCT4. FCT5 was mainly represented in <jats:italic>emm4<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>emm6<\/jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>emm75<\/jats:italic> strains. Significantly, we defined subtypes for each FCT type based on the differences in single and double loci compared to the reference scheme used for the classification of the FCT region. In addition, new FCT-region variants with differences in multiple loci were also recorded. Cluster analysis based on virulence gene profiling showed a non-random distribution within each <jats:italic>emm<\/jats:italic> type. This study added new data to existing studies conducted worldwide and revealed new variability scores in circulating <jats:italic>Streptococcus pyogenes<\/jats:italic> strains and new assortments in well-established virulence gene signatures.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.6613","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,20]],"date-time":"2019-03-20T04:28:23Z","timestamp":1553056103000},"page":"e6613","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["High virulence gene diversity in <i>Streptococcus pyogenes<\/i> isolated in Central Italy"],"prefix":"10.7717","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Daniela","family":"Bencardino","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Chiara","family":"Di Luca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5210-4894","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Dezemona","family":"Petrelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manuela","family":"Prenna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luca Agostino","family":"Vitali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, 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