The critical role of <i>hcpR</i> in regulating nitrosative stress defense in <i>Clostridioides difficile</i>.

ABSTRACT: Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic, toxin-producing pathogen that colonizes the host gastrointestinal tract. Within this hostile environment, the bacterium encounters stressors such as reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which impose nitrosative stress that must be mitigated for survival. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which C. difficile defends against nitrosative stress. We screened an unordered transposon mutant library of the epidemic strain R20291 using a nitric oxide (NO) donor and identified a nitrosative stress-sensitive mutant with an inactivated hcpR, a transcriptional regulator of the Crp/Fnr family. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted, alongside the assessment of toxin production, a key virulence factor in

SUBMITTER: Kalra S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12915319 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature