S. pneumoniae & FcαR

Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcus, is a Gram-positive, spherical bacteria, alpha-hemolytic or beta-hemolytic, facultative anaerobic member of the genus Streptococcus. They are usually found in pairs and do not form spores and are non motile.

This gene is a member of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily and encodes a receptor for the Fc region of IgA. The receptor is a transmembrane glycoprotein present on the surface of myeloid lineage cells such as neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, and eosinophils, where it mediates immunologic responses to pathogens. It interacts with IgA-opsonized targets and triggers several immunologic defense processes, including phagocytosis, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, and stimulation of the release of inflammatory mediators. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been described for this gene.