The role of flagella in Clostridium difficile pathogenesis: comparison between a non-epidemic and an epidemic strain.

ABSTRACT: Clostridium difficile is a major cause of healthcare-associated infection and inflicts a considerable financial burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Disease symptoms range from self-limiting diarrhoea to fatal pseudomembranous colitis. Whilst C. difficile has two major virulence factors, toxin A and B, it is generally accepted that other virulence components of the bacterium contribute to disease. C. difficile colonises the gut of humans and animals and hence the processes of adherence and colonisation are essential for disease onset. Previously it has been suggested that flagella might be implicated in colonisation. Here we tested this hypothesis by comparing flagellated parental strains to strains in which flagella genes were inactivated using ClosTron technology. Our focus was on a U

SUBMITTER: Baban ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3781105 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature