Capsule and PspA Cooperatively Confer Resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae to the Human Defensin HNP-1
Streptococcus pneumoniae resists host defenses through multiple surface factors, yet their specific contribution to protection against antimicrobial peptides remains incompletely understood. We examined the role of pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) and the polysaccharide capsule in protection against the human defensin HNP-1. PspA conferred increased resistance to HNP-1-induced killing, shown
