Characterization of Flagellum and Toxin Phase Variation in Clostridioides difficile Ribotype 012 Isolates.

ABSTRACT: Clostridioides difficile causes diarrheal diseases mediated in part by the secreted toxins TcdA and TcdB. C. difficile produces flagella that also contribute to motility and bacterial adherence to intestinal cells during infection. Flagellum expression and toxin gene expression are linked via the flagellar alternative sigma factor, SigD. Recently, we identified a flagellar switch upstream of the early flagellar biosynthesis operon that mediates phase variation of both flagellum and toxin production in C. difficile strain R20291. However, we were unable to detect flagellar switch inversion in C. difficile strain 630, a ribotype 012 strain commonly used in research labs, suggesting that the strain is phase locked. To determine whether a phase-locked flagellar swit

SUBMITTER: Anjuwon-Foster BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6018351 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature