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The Spore Coat Protein CotE Facilitates Host Colonization by Clostridium difficile
Huynh A Hong1, William T Ferreira1, Siamand Hosseini1
1School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Surrey.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|October 3, 2017
Summary
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) spores use the CotE protein to attach to intestinal mucus, which is crucial for disease development. This finding reveals spores actively promote CDI, not just transmit it.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major hospital-acquired infection.
- Antibiotic use disrupts gut microbiota, promoting CDI via spore germination.
- The spore surface protein CotE plays a role in CDI pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of CotE in Clostridium difficile spore attachment to the intestine.
- To determine CotE's contribution to CDI colonization and virulence.
- To elucidate the function of CotE in spore-mediated disease establishment.
Main Methods:
- Utilized isogenic mutants of Clostridium difficile.
- Performed in vitro and ex vivo experiments to assess spore-mucin interactions.
- Employed animal models to evaluate CDI development, colonization, and virulence.
Main Results:
- CotE facilitates Clostridium difficile spore binding to intestinal mucin.
- CotE contributes to the degradation of mucin.
- Absence of CotE significantly reduces CDI colonization and virulence in animal models.
- Spore attachment to the intestine is essential for CDI development.
Conclusions:
- CotE is critical for Clostridium difficile spore adhesion to the gut.
- Spore attachment, mediated by CotE, is essential for CDI pathogenesis.
- Clostridium difficile spores actively contribute to disease establishment, challenging the notion of dormancy.
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