Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research

Visualizing phenotypic heterogeneity and single-cell morphology in situ during gut infection

This study develops a method to visualize single-cell phenotypic heterogeneity in gut microbial communities using spectrally compatible reporters, revealing subpopulation behavior in Clostridioides difficile during infection.

Processing of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin by Intestinal Proteases

This study examines how intestinal proteases process C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) and shows that processed CPE retains cytotoxic activity.

Perfringolysin O pore-forming complexes are predominantly integral multiples of six subunits

The paper investigates the structural composition of Perfringolysin O (PFO) complexes, finding that they are predominantly hexameric and built from hexameric sub-complexes.

The L,D-transpeptidation pathway is inhibited by antibiotics of the β-lactam class in Clostridioides difficile

This study shows that cephalosporin resistance in C. difficile is due to inhibition of D,D-carboxypeptidases, not L,D-transpeptidases, and highlights the plasticity of PG biosynthesis.

Emerging Clostridioides difficile ribotypes have divergent metabolic phenotypes

This study profiles carbon metabolism in C. difficile clinical isolates, revealing lineage-specific metabolic capabilities and divergence in two emerging ribotypes.

Microbiome impact of ibezapolstat and other Clostridioides difficile infection relevant antibiotics using humanized mice

This study compares the microbiome effects of ibezapolstat and other antibiotics in humanized mice, finding that ibezapolstat and fidaxomicin had smaller impacts on gut microbiome diversity than vancomycin and metronidazole.

Identification of two glycosyltransferases required for synthesis of membrane glycolipids in Clostridioides difficile

This study identifies two glycosyltransferases involved in synthesizing glycolipids in C. difficile and highlights their role in bacterial physiology.

Enhanced immunogenicity of a Clostridioides difficile TcdB vaccine adjuvanted with a synthetic dual-TLR ligand adjuvant.

This paper evaluates a TcdB vaccine adjuvanted with a dual-TLR ligand liposome, showing complete protection against lethal CDI in mice and superior antibody and memory B cell responses compared to alum.

Clostridioides difficile major toxins remodel the intestinal epithelia, affecting spore adherence/internalization into intestinal tissue and their association with gut vitronectin.

This study shows that C. difficile toxins TcdA and TcdB remodel fibronectin and vitronectin in intestinal tissue, enhancing spore adherence and internalization, which may contribute to disease recurrence.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Clostridioides difficile: a dual-site study of three different media and three therapeutic antimicrobials

This study compares antimicrobial susceptibility testing of C. difficile across three media and three drugs, finding medium-dependent MIC differences and recommending FAA-HB for consistency.

Impacts of perR on oxygen sensitivity, gene expression, and murine infection in Clostridioides difficile 630Δerm

This study investigates the impact of a perR mutation on oxygen sensitivity, gene expression, and infection in C. difficile 630Δerm, finding no difference in infection outcomes but altered gene expression under ambient oxygen.

Clostridioides difficile colonization is not mediated by bile salts and utilizes Stickland fermentation of proline in an in vitro model

This study shows that C. difficile colonization in an in vitro model is not dependent on bile salts but relies on proline fermentation via Stickland pathway, with context-dependent effects.

Strand-swapping in the LolA-like protein GerS promotes the allosteric activation of a bacterial amidase in Clostridioides difficile

This study investigates how strand-swapping in GerS, a LolA-like protein in C. difficile, affects its dimerization and ability to activate the amidase CwlD.

Clostridium novyi type B causes fatal hemorrhagic disease in wild Asian elephants

This study identifies Clostridium novyi type B as the cause of fatal hemorrhagic disease in wild Asian elephants through molecular diagnostic methods.

Commensal-pathogen dynamics structure disease outcomes during Clostridioides difficile colonization

The paper investigates why C. difficile colonization leads to varying disease outcomes by studying microbiota-humanized mice and identifying commensals that mitigate virulence.

Human gut microbiota interactions shape the long-term growth dynamics and evolutionary adaptations of Clostridioides difficile

This study shows how human gut microbiota interactions influence the long-term growth and evolutionary adaptations of C. difficile, including metabolic shifts and reduced disease severity.

Clostridioides difficile binary toxin CDT induces biofilm-like persisting microcolonies

This study shows that CDT toxin from Clostridioides difficile induces biofilm-like microcolonies, increasing colonization and persistence in intestinal models and infected mice.

Analysis of high-molecular-weight proteins using MALDI-TOF MS and Machine Learning for the differentiation of clinically relevant Clostridioides difficile ribotypes

This study uses MALDI-TOF MS and machine learning to classify C. difficile ribotypes, achieving high accuracy for some ribotypes but not all.

Antiviral Library Screening Leads to Discovery of Novel and Potent Anticlostridial Compounds

This study screens an antiviral library to identify novel compounds with potent anti-C. difficile activity, with some showing MICs comparable to vancomycin.

C. perfringens enterotoxin-claudin pore complex: Models for structure, mechanism of pore assembly and cation permeability

The paper models the structure and mechanism of the CPE-claudin-4 pore complex, revealing its hexameric architecture and cation selectivity.

Dual RNA-seq study of the dynamics of coding and non-coding RNAs expression during Clostridioides difficile infection in a mouse model

This paper uses dual RNA-seq to study coding and non-coding RNA expression dynamics in C. difficile infection in mice, identifying new ncRNA genes and host miRNAs associated with infection.

Protection against Clostridioides difficile disease by a naturally avirulent C. difficile strain

This paper shows that an avirulent C. difficile strain, ST1-75, protects mice from virulent strain-induced colitis by outcompeting it through rapid amino acid depletion, suggesting potential as a biotherapeutic for CDI prevention.

Mice colonized with the defined microbial community OMM19.1 are susceptible to C. difficile infection without prior antibiotic treatment.

The study shows that mice with the synthetic microbiota OMM19.1 are susceptible to C. difficile infection without antibiotics, with increased infection severity at higher doses.

In vitro biofilms of Clostridioides difficile undomesticated strains: Morphology and properties according to strain diversity

This study examines biofilm formation and properties of C. difficile undomesticated strains, finding that ribotype 009 strains form highly adhesive biofilms and show increased vancomycin tolerance.

Step-by-Step Maturation Mechanism of Binary Toxin Pore Revealed by Cryo-EM Analysis

The paper determines the structures of intermediate stages of pore formation by the Iota toxin's membrane-binding component using cryo-EM, revealing a stepwise maturation mechanism.

Cryo-EM Structures of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin Bound to its Human Receptor, Claudin-4

This study presents cryo-EM structures of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin bound to claudin-4, revealing its pore assembly mechanism and potential therapeutic strategies.

Rational Design of Live Biotherapeutic Products for the Prevention of Clostridioides difficile Infection

This study uses computational methods and metagenomic data to identify microbial strains that can inhibit CDI, supporting the design of live biotherapeutic products.

The impact of YabG mutations on C. difficile spore germination and processing of spore substrates

This study investigates how mutations in YabG affect C. difficile spore germination and substrate processing, showing altered substrate cleavage and expression patterns.

Elucidating human gut microbiota interactions that robustly inhibit diverse Clostridioides difficile strains across different nutrient landscapes

This study identifies gut microbiota interactions that inhibit C. difficile strains across nutrient environments, highlighting strain variability and nutrient context as key factors.

Blocking toxin function and modulating the gut microbiota: caffeic acid phenethyl ester as a potential treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection

This study identifies caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) as an inhibitor of TcdB, a key toxin in Clostridioides difficile infection, showing reduced pathology and microbiota modulation in mice.