C Difficile Analysis

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C. difficile has been shown to cause outbreaks of diarrhea in patient populations of hospitals. These outbreaks have commonly been reported after the use of antibiotics. The drug most commonly implicated in the development of C. difficile associated diarrhea is Clindamycin. The strains of C. difficile that cause hospital epidemics have been shown to be resistant to Clindamycin when compared with non-epidemic causing strains.
A group of highly associated genes called erm genes have been shown to encode for a 23S ribosomal RNA methylase that moderates resistance to macrolide–lincosamide–streptogramin (MLS) such as clindamycin and erythromycin in micro-organisms. These genes have been isolated in C. perfringens and C. difficile and are collectively …show more content…
These transposons are supposedly responsible for C. difficile acquiring characteristics like creation of surface structures, increased virulence, host interaction and antibiotic resistance. These genetic elements further help this micro-organism adapt and grow in the intestinal environment.

The C. difficile strain 630 genome consists of a plasmid of 7,881 bp and a circular chromosome of 4,290,252 bp that has low G+C content like other Gram-positive bacteria. The 11 coding sequences (CDSs) on the plasmid do not serve any purpose while the chromosome encodes for 3,776 CDSs. The essential functions are encoded by the conserved CDSs of the Clostridia, while the mobile elements and adjunct functions are encoded by the C. difficile unique CDSs.

There is very little information on the elements involved in the colonization and adherence activity although two chief virulence factors of C. difficile have been demonstrated as exotoxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B …show more content…
difficile person-to-person transmission is facilitated by the fecal excretion of extremely resistant spores in infected patients which bypasses infection prevention measures and creates an environment repository. In response to specific molecular signals the bacterial spores germinate by losing their protective external coating and resume vegetative growth and are no longer metabolically dormant.
Although there has been considerable knowledge shed on the spores of several Bacillus species, like Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus subtilis, as well as those of other Clostridium species, such as Clostridium perfringens, studies on C. difficile spores has been relatively scarce. A better characterization of C. difficile spore genetics could be helpful for molecular diagnostic purposes, organizing disinfection regimen, and broadening therapeutics such as developing a
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