Table 6.

Prominent pneumococcal virulence proteins with vaccine potential

Pneumococcal Protein	Virulence activities
Choline-binding protein A (CbpA)	Adhesin that binds to the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor, the laminin receptor and complement component 3
Histidine triad protein D (PhtD)	A factor H (FH)-binding protein that interferes with activation of the alternate complement pathway
Pneumococcal choline-binding protein A (PcpA)	Adhesin that also suppresses innate immune mechanisms
Pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA)	Adhesin that also functions as a manganese permease complex
Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA)	Adhesin that also inhibits recognition of the pneumococcus by C-reactive protein; also inactivates both factor H (FH) of the alternative complement pathway and lactoferrin
Pneumolysin	The membrane pore-forming eukaryotic cell cytotoxin of the pneumococcus