Outbreaks of epidemic infections by Streptococcus pyogenes, the group A streptococci, have been known for centuries to be a major cause of substantial human morbidity and mortality. Early researchers placed great emphasis on understanding the mechanisms of pathogenesis in order to prevent severe S. pyogenes diseases. The recent development of genome sequencing has facilitated bacterial research by providing significant information that could not be obtained from traditional research, which has often focused on phenotypic observations or manipulations of limited genes. As mentioned in a subsequent section of this chapter, genome-based studies have previously been carried out on S. pyogenes. These developments include understanding mechanisms of evolutional differentiation and prevailing gene content of individual strains that make up various epidemic lineages. This chapter highlights current approaches of comparative genomics in bacteriology, as well as major findings in S. pyogenes genomics. We review the main studies that have focused on a limited number of S. pyogenes lineages and describe the significance of molecular events in their evolution. In addition, future perspectives are discussed in relation to an overall understanding of S. pyogenes itself.
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