Molecular Basis of Early Stages of Clostridium difficile Infection: Germination and Colonization

Abstract

Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) occur when antibiotic therapy disrupts the gastrointestinal flora, favoring infected C. difficile spores to germinate, outgrow, colonize and produce toxins. During CDI, C. difficile vegetative cells initiate the process of sporulation allowing a fraction of the spores to remain adhered to the intestinal surfaces. These spores, which are unaffected by antibiotic therapy commonly used for CDIs, then germinate, outgrow and recolonize the host‘s GI tract causing relapse of CDI. Consequently, the germination and colonization processes can be considered as the earliest and most essential steps for the development as well as relapse of CDI. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the molecular basis involved in C. difficile spore germination and colonization.

Keywords:

• CDI germination
• Clostridium difficile
• colonization

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.