Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
06:51
Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291
Published on: December 10, 2016
12.5K
Emerging Clostridioides difficile ribotypes have divergent metabolic phenotypes
Firas S Midani1,2, Heather A Danhof1,2, Nathanael Mathew1,2
1Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|August 26, 2024
Summary
Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a versatile gut pathogen. This study reveals lineage-specific metabolic differences in C. difficile strains, impacting their adaptation and potential therapeutic strategies.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pathogen Metabolism
- Genomics
Background:
- Clostridioides difficile is a major cause of diarrheal infections.
- Genetic diversity exists among C. difficile strains, with specific ribotypes dominating human infections.
- Metabolic adaptations of epidemic C. difficile ribotypes remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate carbon substrate utilization in a diverse collection of C. difficile clinical isolates.
- To identify metabolic differences linked to specific ribotypes and phylogenetic lineages.
- To understand the metabolic basis for the emergence and adaptation of C. difficile.
Main Methods:
- Carbon substrate utilization profiling of 88 C. difficile clinical isolates.
- Growth assays across 22 different ribotypes.
- Phylogenetic analysis to correlate metabolic capabilities with genetic lineage.
Main Results:
- C. difficile exhibits generalist metabolic capabilities, utilizing a wide range of carbon sources.
- Metabolic phenotypes clustered by phylogenetic relationship, showing ribotype- and clade-specific differences.
- Emerging lineages (ribotypes 023, 255) displayed divergent metabolic profiles.
- The most evolutionarily distant clade (Clade 5) showed robust growth on simple sugars.
Conclusions:
- C. difficile employs a generalist metabolic strategy, but with significant lineage-specific adaptations.
- Metabolic diversity is crucial for understanding C. difficile evolution and pathogenesis.
- Findings support the rational design of targeted therapeutic interventions by exploiting metabolic niches.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Other Glycolytic Pathways
The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) operates in parallel with glycolysis, facilitating the metabolism of both pentoses and glucose. This pathway consists of two distinct phases: the oxidative and non-oxidative phases. While it does not directly generate ATP, the intermediates formed during the process can integrate into glycolysis, contributing to cellular energy metabolism when required.Oxidative Phase: NADPH ProductionThe oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway is primarily...
01:23Stringent Response in E. coli
Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
01:26Bacterial Phylum Bacteroidota
The phylum Bacteroidota includes over 700 species classified into four primary orders: Bacteroidales, Cytophagales, Flavobacteriales, and Sphingobacteriales. These gram-negative, non-sporulating rods exhibit saccharolytic capabilities and can be aerobic or fermentative, encompassing obligate aerobes, facultative aerobes, and obligate anaerobes. Many species display gliding motility, though some are nonmotile or use flagella. The genus Bacteroides is well-studied due to its significant role in...
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
01:18Deep Sea Microbial Ecology
The deep ocean and its underlying sediments represent vast, largely unexplored microbial habitats that extend far beyond the sunlit photic zone. The photic (euphotic) zone typically spans the upper ~100–200 meters of pelagic waters in the open ocean, but its depth varies geographically and seasonally, where sufficient light supports photosynthetic life. Below this lies the deep sea, spanning roughly 1000–6000 meters (bathypelagic to abyssal zones), with deeper hadal trenches extending beyond...
01:20Determinants of Bacterial Pathogenicity and Virulence
Pathogenic bacteria employ a variety of strategies to establish infections, including the secretion of extracellular enzymes that act as potent virulence factors. These enzymes facilitate bacterial colonization of host tissues and help evade immune surveillance. By targeting structural components of host tissues and interfering with immune mechanisms, these enzymes play a pivotal role in disease progression.Extracellular Enzymes Facilitating Tissue Invasion: Several bacterial pathogens secrete...