Dissecting the role of flagellar subunits in <i>C. difficile</i> mucosal colonization.

ABSTRACT: Clostridioides difficile is a common cause of acute gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation in mammals, which can have detrimental effects on host health. C. difficile-associated disease requires the secretion of high-molecular-weight toxins after colonization of the GI tract. The molecular mechanisms of GI colonization by C. difficile include potential interactions with host cells and the mucus layer formed from secreted mucin glycoproteins. C. difficile associates with the mucus layer in vivo and will associate with both epithelial cells and mucosal surfaces in vitro. Previously, we found a substantial defect in binding to mucosal surfaces for mutants of the major flagellar subunit, fliC, while mutation of the major subunit of type IV pili,

SUBMITTER: Biswas B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12713411 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature