Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291
Published on: December 10, 2016
Impact of microbial derived secondary bile acids on colonization resistance against Clostridium difficile in the
Jenessa A Winston1, Casey M Theriot1
1Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
Abstract:
Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic, Gram positive, spore-forming bacillus that is the leading cause of nosocomial gastroenteritis. Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with increasing morbidity and mortality, consequently posing an urgent threat to public health. Recurrence of CDI after successful treatment with antibiotics is high, thus necessitating discovery of novel therapeutics against this pathogen. Susceptibility to CDI is associated with alterations in the gut microbiota composition and bile acid metabolome, specifically a loss of microbial derived secondary bile acids. This review aims to summarize in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies done by our group and others that demonstrate how secondary bile acids affect the different stages of the C. difficile life cycle. Understanding the dynamic interplay of C. difficile and microbial derived secondary bile acids within the gastrointestinal tract will shed light on how bile acids play a role in colonization resistance against C. difficile. Rational manipulation of secondary bile acids may prove beneficial as a treatment for patients with CDI.
More Related Videos
12:58A Protocol to Characterize the Morphological Changes of Clostridium difficile in Response to Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: May 25, 2017
08:34Investigating the Alleviating Effects of Bacillus cereus Administration on Colitis through Gut Microbiota Modulation
Published on: July 27, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Microbiota of the Stomach and Small Intestine
Functions of the Gut Microbiota
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance
Development of Human Microbiota
Microbiota of the Large Intestine
Probiotics