The CspC:CspA heterodimer transduces germinant and co-germinant signals during Clostridioides difficile spore germination.

ABSTRACT: The clinically significant pathogen Clostridioides difficile lacks the transmembrane nutrient germinant receptors conserved in almost all spore-forming bacteria. Instead, C. difficile initiates spore germination using a unique mechanism that requires two signals: a bile acid germinant and a co-germinant, which can be either an amino acid or a divalent cation. While two soluble pseudoproteases, CspC and CspA, were initially identified as the germinant and co-germinant receptors, respectively, in C. difficile, we previously identified residues in an unstructured region of CspC that regulate the sensitivity of C. difficile spores to both signals. However, the mechanism by which CspC transduces these signals remained unclear. Here, we demonstrate that CspC forms a stable complex with CspA and

SUBMITTER: McNellis ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12880746 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature