It is commonly encountered in infections as a component of the normal flora. perfringens can participate in polymicrobial anaerobic infections. The toxin involved in gas gangrene is α-toxin, which inserts into the plasma membrane of cells, producing gaps in the membrane that disrupt normal cellular function. The specific name perfringens is derived from the Latin per (meaning 'through') and frango ('burst'), referring to the disruption of tissue that occurs during gas gangrene. perfringens show evidence of tissue necrosis, bacteremia, emphysematous cholecystitis, and gas gangrene, also known as clostridial myonecrosis. However, it can sometimes be ingested and cause no harm. Ĭlostridium perfringens is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States, alongside norovirus, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus aureus. It has the shortest reported generation time of any organism at 6.3 minutes in thioglycolate medium. perfringens is ever-present in nature and can be found as a normal component of decaying vegetation, marine sediment, the intestinal tract of humans and other vertebrates, insects, and soil. welchii, or Bacillus welchii) is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic, spore-forming pathogenic bacterium of the genus Clostridium. Abbreviations: FS, forespore compartment VM, SpoVM VID, SpoIVD IVA, SpoIVA ?, unidentified proteins.Clostridium perfringens (formerly known as C. The location of BclA2 and BclA3 remain unknown.

The morphogenetic protein of the exosporium layer, CdeC, and the outer most exosporium protein, BclA1, are shown. difficile are unknown (? indicates that it remains unclear whether discrete layers defined by specific morphogenetic proteins as defined in B. Morphogenetic proteins required for the assembly of the indicated layer are labeled morphogenetic proteins for the putative inner and outer coat layers of C. difficile SpoVM localizes to the forespore membrane similar to B. difficile SpoIVA and SipL are shown localizing to a putative basement layer. Based on localization of SpoIVA and SpoVID in B. The major proteinaceous layers defined by McKenney et al. difficile TL176 and TL178 are shown, highlighting the presence of a highly organized surface of unknown exosporium proteins. (C) The ultrastructure of the spore surface of representative spores of strains C. Abbreviations: Ex-BL, exosporium basal-layer Ex-N, Exosporium hair-like nap Ct, coat Cx, cortex. (B) For comparison, the ultrastructure of Bacillus anthracis spores is shown (, reprinted with permission of Wiley). Abbreviations: Ex, exosporium Ct, coat Cx, cortex. In the upper panel selected spores with a typical exosporium-like structure with roughed electro-dense material are shown, while in the lower panels representative micrographs of spores with less electron dense exosporium-like ultrastructures are shown, suggesting a deficient exosporium layer. It is worth noting that some strains such as 630 and R20291 and TL178 have two different ultrastructural phenotypes. Upper and lower panels show TEM analyses of strains 630 ribotype 027 (RT12), R20291 RT27, M120 RT78, TL176 RT14, TL178 RT02. (A) Micrographs of thin sections of spores from various C. difficile spores exosporium germination spore coat sporulation.Ĭopyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. In this review, the regulation of the sporulation and germination pathways and the morphogenesis of the spore coat and exosporium will be discussed.Ĭ. difficile and Bacillus subtilis at the level of sporulation, germination, and spore coat and exosporium morphogenesis. Further, recent studies have revealed significant differences between C. difficile spore proteome is poorly conserved when compared to members of the Bacillus genus. difficile in patients and horizontal transmission between hospitalized patients. difficile induces a sporulation pathway that produces more spores these spores are responsible for the persistence of C.

difficile spores germinate in the colon to form the vegetative cells that initiate Clostridium difficile infections (CDI). Owing to its strict anaerobic requirements, the infectious and transmissible morphotype is the dormant spore. Clostridium difficile is a Gram-positive, spore-forming obligate anaerobe and a major nosocomial pathogen of worldwide concern.

Clostridium spore