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Carriage of three plasmids in a single human clinical isolate of Clostridioides difficile

Anna M Roseboom1, Quinten R Ducarmon1, Bastian V H Hornung1

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology and Leiden University Center of Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Plasmid
|December 26, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Clostridioides difficile plasmids carry important genetic elements but are poorly understood. This study fully sequences a clinical isolate

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • A subset of clinical isolates of Clostridioides difficile harbor plasmids that can contain virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes.
  • Despite their potential significance, the plasmids of C. difficile are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the plasmids present in a specific human clinical isolate of Clostridioides difficile.
  • To identify replication regions within these plasmids for potential use in laboratory strains.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-genome sequencing of a human clinical isolate of Clostridioides difficile.
  • Bioinformatic analysis to identify and characterize plasmids.
  • Identification of plasmid replication regions.

Main Results:

  • The study sequenced a C. difficile clinical isolate containing three high-copy number plasmids from distinct, compatible families.
  • A replication region was identified in two plasmids, compatible with the laboratory plasmid pCD630.
  • This provides a foundation for understanding C. difficile plasmid replication and maintenance.

Conclusions:

  • The characterization of these plasmids advances the understanding of C. difficile plasmid biology.
  • The identified replication regions offer potential tools for genetic manipulation in C. difficile research.
  • This work contributes to understanding the genetic diversity and potential virulence mechanisms of C. difficile.
Keywords:
C. difficileC. difficile plasmidsComplete genome sequenceExtrachromosomal DNAPlasmid carriagePlasmid compatibility

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