Articles of Significant Interest in This Issue

Greater abundance of airway Corynebacterium is associated with lower pneumonia risk. However, little is known regarding how Corynebacterium influence pneumonia development. Tamkin et al. (e00445-24) discovered a novel Corynebacterium-secreted factor which blocked the activity of Staphylococcus aureus pore-forming toxins. In contrast, a Corynebacterium-secreted lipase-inhibited growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae without affecting S. aureus. Ultimately, the presence of Corynebacterium reduced the ability of both pathogens to adhere to the epithelium and infect the lungs. These observations highlight the antimicrobial and anti-virulence properties of Corynebacterium as potential mechanisms contributing to baseline defense against bacterial pneumonia by the airway microbiome.