Tn-seq assessment of group B Streptococcus genome-wide fitness determinants in human amniotic fluid

The purpose of this study was to quantify gene-level contributions to fitness of group B Streptococcus strain A909 (serotype Ia) in human amniotic fluid through next-generation sequencing of a saturated transposon mutant library (Tn-seq). The experiment has clinical relevance because group B Streptococcus is an important cause of chorioamnionitis (infection of the placenta, fetal membranes, fetus, and amniotic fluid), which in turn contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth and preterm delivery. Our goal is to increase understanding of how group B Streptococcus is able to survive in the antimicrobial milieu of amniotic fluid.