The <i>Clostridium difficile spo0A</i> Gene Is a Persistence and Transmission Factor

TLDR

Clostridium difficile is a major cause of chronic antibiotic‑associated diarrhea and a health‑care–associated pathogen that forms highly resistant, infectious spores, and its sporulation regulator Spo0A is conserved across Bacillus and Clostridium species. The study aims to investigate the role of the C. difficile spo0A gene in infection and transmission. The authors employed a murine model to assess the function of spo0A during infection and transmission.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Clostridium difficile is a major cause of chronic antibiotic-associated diarrhea and a significant health care-associated pathogen that forms highly resistant and infectious spores. Spo0A is a highly conserved transcriptional regulator that plays a key role in initiating sporulation in Bacillus and Clostridium species. Here, we use a murine model to study the role of the C. difficile spo0A gene during infection and transmission. We demonstrate that C. difficile spo0A mutant derivatives can cause intestinal disease but are unable to persist within and effectively transmit between mice. Thus, the C. difficile Spo0A protein plays a key role in persistent infection, including recurrence and host-to-host transmission in mice.