The complexity and diversity of the Pathogenicity Locus in Clostridium difficile clade 5.

ABSTRACT: The symptoms of Clostridium difficile infection are caused by two closely related toxins, TcdA and TcdB, which are encoded by the 19.6 kb Pathogenicity Locus (PaLoc). The PaLoc is variably present among strains, and in this respect it resembles a mobile genetic element. The C. difficile population structure consists mainly of five phylogenetic clades designated 1-5. Certain genotypes of clade 5 are associated with recently emergent highly pathogenic strains causing human disease and animal infections. The aim of this study was to explore the evolutionary history of the PaLoc in C. difficile clade 5. Phylogenetic analyses and annotation of clade 5 PaLoc variants and adjoining genomic regions were undertaken using a representative collection of toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains. Comparison

SUBMITTER: Elliott B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4986448 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature