An update on the human and animal enteric pathogen Clostridium perfringens

Abstract

Clostridium perfringens, a rapid-growing pathogen known to secrete an arsenal of >20 virulent toxins, has been associated with intestinal diseases in both animals and humans throughout the past century. Recent advances in genomic analysis and experimental systems make it timely to re-visit this clinically and veterinary important pathogen. This Review will summarise our understanding of the genomics and virulence-linked factors, including antimicrobial potentials and secreted toxins of this gut pathogen, and then its up-to-date clinical epidemiology and biological role in the pathogenesis of several important human and animal-associated intestinal diseases, including pre-term necrotising enterocolitis. Finally, we highlight some of the important unresolved questions in relation to C. perfringens-mediated infections, and implications for future research directions.

Acknowledgements

This review was supported by a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award (100974/C/13/Z), and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); Institute Strategic Programme Gut Microbes and Health BB/R012490/1, and Institute Strategic Programme Gut Health and Food Safety BB/J004529/1 to L.J.H. R.K. is a recipient of University of East Anglia International Bursary (Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Electronic supplementary material

Supplementary Information accompanies this paper at (10.1038/s41426-018-0144-8).

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