Transcriptional analysis of temporal gene expression in germinating Clostridium difficile 630 endospores.

ABSTRACT: Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of hospital acquired diarrhoea in industrialised countries. Under conditions that are not favourable for growth, the pathogen produces metabolically dormant endospores via asymmetric cell division. These are extremely resistant to both chemical and physical stress and provide the mechanism by which C. difficile can evade the potentially fatal consequences of exposure to heat, oxygen, alcohol, and certain disinfectants. Spores are the primary infective agent and must germinate to allow for vegetative cell growth and toxin production. While spore germination in Bacillus is well understood, little is known about C. difficile germination and outgrowth. Here we use genome-wide transcriptional analysis to elucidate the temporal gene expression patterns

SUBMITTER: Dembek M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3655068 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature