Unique growth and morphology properties of Clade 5 <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> strains revealed by single-cell time-lapse microscopy.

ABSTRACT: Clostridioides difficile is a gastrointestinal pathogen of both humans and agricultural animals and thus a major One Health threat. The C. difficile species consists of five main clades, with Clade 5 currently undergoing speciation from Clades 1-4. Clade 5 strains are highly prevalent in agricultural animals and can cause zoonotic infections, suggesting that these strains have evolved phenotypes that distinguish them from Clade 1-4 strains. Here, we compare the growth properties of Clade 5 strains to those of Clade 1-4 strains using anaerobic time-lapse microscopy coupled with automated image analysis. Our analyses indicate that Clade 5 strains grow faster and are more likely to form long chains of cells than Clade 1-4 strains. Using comparative genomic and CRISPRi analyses,

SUBMITTER: Ribis JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12132525 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature