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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Culturing and Maintaining Clostridium difficile in an Anaerobic Environment
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Ultrastructure of Clostridium difficile colonies.

Saša Lipovsek1, Gerd Leitinger, Maja Rupnik

  • 1Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Slovenia; Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Slovenia.

Anaerobe
|October 15, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Scanning electron microscopy revealed distinct Clostridium difficile colony structures. Older colonies showed more uniformity, with cells forming spores and extracellular matrix.

Keywords:
Bacterial colony patternsBiofilmClostridium difficileMotilityScanning electron microscopySporulation

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Microbial Ecology

Background:

  • Clostridium difficile is a significant human pathogen.
  • Understanding its colony architecture is crucial for infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the ultrastructural colony architecture of Clostridium difficile.
  • To compare colony morphology across different ribotypes.

Main Methods:

  • Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine colonies.
  • Six Clostridium difficile strains from four ribotypes (001, 027, 078/126, 036) were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Two-day-old colonies displayed heterogeneous microareas with varying cell length and organization.
  • Cells at colony edges were elongated and showed invasiveness into the agar.
  • Five-day-old colonies exhibited a more homogenous ultrastructure, featuring sporulating cells, spores, and extracellular matrix.

Conclusions:

  • Clostridium difficile colony architecture evolves over time.
  • Morphological differences may correlate with ribotype and contribute to pathogenicity.