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Di Bella S, Sanson G, Monticelli J, Zerbato V, Principe L, Giuffrè M, Pipitone G, Luzzati R. Clostridioides difficile infection: history, epidemiology, risk factors, prevention, clinical manifestations, treatment, and future options. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0013523. [PMID: 38421181 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00135-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is one of the major issues in nosocomial infections. This bacterium is constantly evolving and poses complex challenges for clinicians, often encountered in real-life scenarios. In the face of CDI, we are increasingly equipped with new therapeutic strategies, such as monoclonal antibodies and live biotherapeutic products, which need to be thoroughly understood to fully harness their benefits. Moreover, interesting options are currently under study for the future, including bacteriophages, vaccines, and antibiotic inhibitors. Surveillance and prevention strategies continue to play a pivotal role in limiting the spread of the infection. In this review, we aim to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of epidemiological aspects, predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tools, and current and future prophylactic and therapeutic options for C. difficile infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Di Bella
- Clinical Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Trieste University, Trieste, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Sanson
- Clinical Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Trieste University, Trieste, Italy
| | - Jacopo Monticelli
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Trieste University Hospital (ASUGI), Trieste, Italy
| | - Verena Zerbato
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Trieste University Hospital (ASUGI), Trieste, Italy
| | - Luigi Principe
- Microbiology and Virology Unit, Great Metropolitan Hospital "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Mauro Giuffrè
- Clinical Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Trieste University, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine (Digestive Diseases), Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Giuseppe Pipitone
- Infectious Diseases Unit, ARNAS Civico-Di Cristina Hospital, Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberto Luzzati
- Clinical Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Trieste University, Trieste, Italy
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Norman KM, Lang GA, Shadid TM, Honold ST, Reel JM, Cox MA, Ballard JD, Lang ML. Clostridioides difficile toxin B subverts germinal center and antibody recall responses by stimulating a drug-treatable CXCR4-dependent mechanism. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114245. [PMID: 38761377 PMCID: PMC11210377 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) results in significant morbidity and mortality. We previously established that CDI in mice does not protect against reinfection and is associated with poor pathogen-specific B cell memory (Bmem), recapitulating our observations with human Bmem. Here, we demonstrate that the secreted toxin TcdB2 is responsible for subversion of Bmem responses. TcdB2 from an endemic C. difficile strain delayed immunoglobulin G (IgG) class switch following vaccination, attenuated IgG recall to a vaccine booster, and prevented germinal center formation. The mechanism of TcdB2 action included increased B cell CXCR4 expression and responsiveness to its ligand CXCL12, accounting for altered cell migration and a failure of germinal center-dependent Bmem. These results were reproduced in a C. difficile infection model, and a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved CXCR4-blocking drug rescued germinal center formation. We therefore provide mechanistic insights into C. difficile-associated pathogenesis and illuminate a target for clinical intervention to limit recurrent disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylee M Norman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Gillian A Lang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Tyler M Shadid
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Sydney T Honold
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Jessica M Reel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Maureen A Cox
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Jimmy D Ballard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Mark L Lang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
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Alam MZ, Madan R. Clostridioides difficile Toxins: Host Cell Interactions and Their Role in Disease Pathogenesis. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:241. [PMID: 38922136 PMCID: PMC11209539 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16060241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile, a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, is the leading cause of hospital-acquired antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide. The severity of C. difficile infection (CDI) varies, ranging from mild diarrhea to life-threatening conditions such as pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon. Central to the pathogenesis of the infection are toxins produced by C. difficile, with toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB) as the main virulence factors. Additionally, some strains produce a third toxin known as C. difficile transferase (CDT). Toxins damage the colonic epithelium, initiating a cascade of cellular events that lead to inflammation, fluid secretion, and further tissue damage within the colon. Mechanistically, the toxins bind to cell surface receptors, internalize, and then inactivate GTPase proteins, disrupting the organization of the cytoskeleton and affecting various Rho-dependent cellular processes. This results in a loss of epithelial barrier functions and the induction of cell death. The third toxin, CDT, however, functions as a binary actin-ADP-ribosylating toxin, causing actin depolymerization and inducing the formation of microtubule-based protrusions. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the interaction between C. difficile toxins and host cells, elucidating the functional consequences of their actions. Furthermore, we will outline how this knowledge forms the basis for developing innovative, toxin-based strategies for treating and preventing CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Zahidul Alam
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
| | - Rajat Madan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA;
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA
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Pourliotopoulou E, Karampatakis T, Kachrimanidou M. Exploring the Toxin-Mediated Mechanisms in Clostridioides difficile Infection. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1004. [PMID: 38792835 PMCID: PMC11124097 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12051004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and colitis, with increasing incidence and healthcare costs. Its pathogenesis is primarily driven by toxins produced by the bacterium C. difficile, Toxin A (TcdA) and Toxin B (TcdB). Certain strains produce an additional toxin, the C. difficile transferase (CDT), which further enhances the virulence and pathogenicity of C. difficile. These toxins disrupt colonic epithelial barrier integrity, and induce inflammation and cellular damage, leading to CDI symptoms. Significant progress has been made in the past decade in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of TcdA, TcdB, and CDT, which provide insights into the management of CDI and the future development of novel treatment strategies based on anti-toxin therapies. While antibiotics are common treatments, high recurrence rates necessitate alternative therapies. Bezlotoxumab, targeting TcdB, is the only available anti-toxin, yet limitations persist, prompting ongoing research. This review highlights the current knowledge of the structure and mechanism of action of C. difficile toxins and their role in disease. By comprehensively describing the toxin-mediated mechanisms, this review provides insights for the future development of novel treatment strategies and the management of CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evdokia Pourliotopoulou
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | | | - Melania Kachrimanidou
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece;
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Donlan AN, Leslie JL, Simpson ME, Petri WA, Allen JE, Petri WA. IL-13 protects from C. difficile colitis. Anaerobe 2024; 88:102860. [PMID: 38701912 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2024.102860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading hospital-acquired infection in North America. We have previously discovered that antibiotic disruption of the gut microbiota decreases intestinal IL-33 and IL-25 and increases susceptibility to CDI. We further found that IL-33 promotes protection through type 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC2s), which produce IL-13. However, the contribution of IL-13 to disease has never been explored. METHODS We used a validated model of CDI in mice, in which we neutralized via blocking antibodies, or administered recombinant protein, IL-13 to assess the role of this cytokine during infection using weight and clinical scores. Fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to characterize myeloid cell population changes in response to IL-13 manipulation. RESULTS We found that administration of IL-13 protected, and anti-IL-13 exacerbated CDI. Additionally, we observed alterations to the monocyte/macrophage cells following neutralization of IL-13 as early as day three post infection. We also observed elevated accumulation of myeloid cells by day four post-infection following IL-13 neutralization. Neutralization of the decoy receptor, IL-13Rα2, resulted in protection from disease, likely through increased available endogenous IL-13. CONCLUSIONS Our data highlight the protective role of IL-13 in protecting from more severe CDI and the association of poor responses with a dysregulated monocyte-macrophage compartment. These results increase our understanding of type 2 immunity in CDI and may have implications for treating disease in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Donlan
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, 98109, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - J L Leslie
- Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - M E Simpson
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - W A Petri
- Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
| | - J E Allen
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - W A Petri
- Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
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Padovani CM, Wilson RM, Rodriguez A, Spur BW, Yin K. Resolvin D2 attenuates LPS-induced macrophage exhaustion. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23569. [PMID: 38551610 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202302521r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Early in sepsis, a hyperinflammatory response is dominant, but later, an immunosuppressive phase dominates, and the host is susceptible to opportunistic infections. Anti-inflammatory agents may accelerate the host into immunosuppression, and few agents can reverse immunosuppression without causing inflammation. Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) such as resolvin D2 (RvD2) have been reported to resolve inflammation without being immunosuppressive, but little work has been conducted to examine their effects on immunosuppression. To assess the effects of RvD2 on immunosuppression, we established a model of macrophage exhaustion using two lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatments or hits. THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages were first treated with RvD2 or vehicle for 1 h. One LPS hit increased NF-κB activity 11-fold and TNF-α release 60-fold compared to unstimulated macrophages. RvD2 decreased LPS-induced NF-κB activity and TNF-α production but increased bacterial clearance. Two LPS hits reduced macrophage bacterial clearance and decreased macrophage NF-κB activity (45%) and TNF-α release (75%) compared to one LPS hit, demonstrating exhaustion. RvD2 increased NF-κB activity, TNF-α release, and bacterial clearance following two LPS hits compared to controls. TLR2 inhibition abolished RvD2-mediated changes. In a mouse sepsis model, splenic macrophage response to exogenous LPS was reduced compared to controls and was restored by in vivo administration of RvD2, supporting the in vitro results. If RvD2 was added to monocytes before differentiation into macrophages, however, RvD2 reduced LPS responses and increased bacterial clearance following both one and two LPS hits. The results show that RvD2 attenuated macrophage suppression in vitro and in vivo and that this effect was macrophage-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina M Padovani
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virtua Health College of Life Sciences of Rowan University, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| | - Rachael M Wilson
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virtua Health College of Life Sciences of Rowan University, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ana Rodriguez
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virtua Health College of Life Sciences of Rowan University, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| | - Bernd W Spur
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virtua Health College of Life Sciences of Rowan University, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kingsley Yin
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virtua Health College of Life Sciences of Rowan University, Stratford, New Jersey, USA
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Moreau GB, Naz F, Petri WA. Fecal microbiota transplantation stimulates type 2 and tolerogenic immune responses in a mouse model. Anaerobe 2024; 86:102841. [PMID: 38521227 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2024.102841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading hospital-acquired infection in North America. While previous work on fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), a highly effective treatment for CDI, has focused on colonization resistance mounted against C. difficile by FMT-delivered commensals, the effects of FMT on host gene expression are relatively unexplored. This study aims to identify transcriptional changes associated with FMT, particularly changes associated with protective immune responses. METHODS Gene expression was assessed on day 2 and day 7 after FMT in mice after antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. Flow cytometry was also performed on colon and mesenteric lymph nodes at day 7 to investigate changes in immune cell populations. RESULTS FMT administration after antibiotic-induced dysbiosis successfully restored microbial alpha diversity to levels of donor mice by day 7 post-FMT. Bulk RNA sequencing of cecal tissue at day 2 identified immune genes, including both pro-inflammatory and Type 2 immune pathways as upregulated after FMT. RNA sequencing was repeated on day 7 post-FMT, and expression of these immune genes was decreased along with upregulation of genes associated with restoration of intestinal homeostasis. Immunoprofiling on day 7 identified increased colonic CD45+ immune cells that exhibited dampened Type 1 and heightened regulatory and Type 2 responses. These include an increased abundance of eosinophils, alternatively activated macrophages, Th2, and T regulatory cell populations. CONCLUSION These results highlight the impact of FMT on host gene expression, providing evidence that FMT restores intestinal homeostasis after antibiotic treatment and facilitates tolerogenic and Type 2 immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Brett Moreau
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Farha Naz
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - William A Petri
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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Wang B, Shao Y, Wang X, Li C. Identification and functional analysis of Toll-like receptor 2 from razor clam Sinonovacula constricta. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 265:131029. [PMID: 38518946 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is a member of TLR family that plays important roles in the innate immune system, such as pathogen recognition and inflammation regulation. In this study, the TLR2 homologue was cloned from razor clam Sinonovacula constricta (denoted as ScTLR2) and its immune function was explored. The full-length cDNA of ScTLR2 comprised 2890 nucleotides with a 5'-UTR of 218 bp, an open reading frame of 2169 bp encoding 722 amino acids and a 3'-UTR of 503 bp. The deduced amino acid of ScTLR2 showed similar structure to TLR2 homologue with a conserved signal peptide, four LRR domains, one LRR-TYP domain, one LRR-CT domain, one transmembrane domain and a conserved TIR domain. ScTLR2 mRNA was detected in all examined tissues with the highest expression in the gill. After Vibrio parahaemolyticus challenge, the mRNA expression of ScTLR2 was significantly induced both in gill and haemocytes. The recombinant ScTLR2-LRR protein could bind all tested PAMPs including LPS, PGN and MAN. Bacterial agglutination assay showed that rScTLR2 could agglutinate the six tested bacteria with a calcium dependent manner. More importantly, ScTLR2 silencing by siRNA transfection could significantly depress the mRNA expression of Myd88, NF-κB, Tollip, IRF1, and IRF8. The survival rate of S. constricta was markedly decreased after V. parahaemolyticus challenge under this condition. Our current study demonstrated that ScTLR2 served as a pattern recognition receptor to induce immune response against invasive pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Yina Shao
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
| | - Xuelei Wang
- Ningbo Academy of Oceanology and Fishery, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chenghua Li
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
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Fachi JL, Vinolo MAR, Colonna M. Reviewing the Clostridioides difficile Mouse Model: Insights into Infection Mechanisms. Microorganisms 2024; 12:273. [PMID: 38399676 PMCID: PMC10891951 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is an anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium associated with intestinal infection, manifesting a broad spectrum of gastrointestinal symptoms, ranging from mild diarrhea to severe colitis. A primary risk factor for the development of C. difficile infection (CDI) is antibiotic exposure. Elderly and immunocompromised individuals are particularly vulnerable to CDI. A pivotal aspect for comprehending the complexities of this infection relies on the utilization of experimental models that mimic human CDI transmission, pathogenesis, and progression. These models offer invaluable insights into host-pathogen interactions and disease dynamics, and serve as essential tools for testing potential therapeutic approaches. In this review, we examine the animal model for CDI and delineate the stages of infection, with a specific focus on mice. Our objective is to offer an updated description of experimental models employed in the study of CDI, emphasizing both their strengths and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L. Fachi
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - Marco A. R. Vinolo
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas 13083-862, SP, Brazil;
| | - Marco Colonna
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
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Papatheodorou P, Minton NP, Aktories K, Barth H. An Updated View on the Cellular Uptake and Mode-of-Action of Clostridioides difficile Toxins. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1435:219-247. [PMID: 38175478 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-42108-2_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Research on the human gut pathogen Clostridioides (C.) difficile and its toxins continues to attract much attention as a consequence of the threat to human health posed by hypervirulent strains. Toxin A (TcdA) and Toxin B (TcdB) are the two major virulence determinants of C. difficile. Both are single-chain proteins with a similar multidomain architecture. Certain hypervirulent C. difficile strains also produce a third toxin, namely binary toxin CDT (C. difficile transferase). C. difficile toxins are the causative agents of C. difficile-associated diseases (CDADs), such as antibiotics-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. For that reason, considerable efforts have been expended to unravel their molecular mode-of-action and the cellular mechanisms responsible for their uptake. Many of these studies have been conducted in European laboratories. Here, we provide an update on our previous review (Papatheodorou et al. Adv Exp Med Biol, 2018) on important advances in C. difficile toxins research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Papatheodorou
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacology of Natural Products, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Nigel P Minton
- BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Klaus Aktories
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Holger Barth
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacology of Natural Products, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
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Buddle JE, Fagan RP. Pathogenicity and virulence of Clostridioides difficile. Virulence 2023; 14:2150452. [PMID: 36419222 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2150452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and is responsible for a spectrum of diseases characterized by high levels of recurrence, morbidity, and mortality. Treatment is complex, since antibiotics constitute both the main treatment and the major risk factor for infection. Worryingly, resistance to multiple antibiotics is becoming increasingly widespread, leading to the classification of this pathogen as an urgent threat to global health. As a consummate opportunist, C. difficile is well equipped for promoting disease, owing to its arsenal of virulence factors: transmission of this anaerobe is highly efficient due to the formation of robust endospores, and an array of adhesins promote gut colonization. C. difficile produces multiple toxins acting upon gut epithelia, resulting in manifestations typical of diarrheal disease, and severe inflammation in a subset of patients. This review focuses on such virulence factors, as well as the importance of antimicrobial resistance and genome plasticity in enabling pathogenesis and persistence of this important pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Buddle
- Molecular Microbiology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Robert P Fagan
- Molecular Microbiology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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12
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Alam MZ, Markantonis JE, Fallon JT. Host Immune Responses to Clostridioides difficile Infection and Potential Novel Therapeutic Approaches. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:506. [PMID: 38133438 PMCID: PMC10747268 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8120506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a leading nosocomial infection, posing a substantial public health challenge within the United States and globally. CDI typically occurs in hospitalized elderly patients who have been administered antibiotics; however, there has been a rise in the occurrence of CDI in the community among young adults who have not been exposed to antibiotics. C. difficile releases toxins, which damage large intestinal epithelium, leading to toxic megacolon, sepsis, and even death. Unfortunately, existing antibiotic therapies do not always prevent these consequences, with up to one-third of treated patients experiencing a recurrence of the infection. Host factors play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of CDI, and accumulating evidence shows that modulation of host immune responses may potentially alter the disease outcome. In this review, we provide an overview of our current knowledge regarding the role of innate and adaptive immune responses on CDI outcomes. Moreover, we present a summary of non-antibiotic microbiome-based therapies that can effectively influence host immune responses, along with immunization strategies that are intended to tackle both the treatment and prevention of CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Zahidul Alam
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; (J.E.M.); (J.T.F.)
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Dong Q, Lin H, Allen MM, Garneau JR, Sia JK, Smith RC, Haro F, McMillen T, Pope RL, Metcalfe C, Burgo V, Woodson C, Dylla N, Kohout C, Sundararajan A, Snitkin ES, Young VB, Fortier LC, Kamboj M, Pamer EG. Virulence and genomic diversity among clinical isolates of ST1 (BI/NAP1/027) Clostridioides difficile. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112861. [PMID: 37523264 PMCID: PMC10627504 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile produces toxins that damage the colonic epithelium, causing colitis. Variation in disease severity is poorly understood and has been attributed to host factors and virulence differences between C. difficile strains. We test 23 epidemic ST1 C. difficile clinical isolates for their virulence in mice. All isolates encode a complete Tcd pathogenicity locus and achieve similar colonization densities. However, disease severity varies from lethal to avirulent infections. Genomic analysis of avirulent isolates reveals a 69-bp deletion in the cdtR gene, which encodes a response regulator for binary toxin expression. Deleting the 69-bp sequence in virulent R20291 strain renders it avirulent in mice with reduced toxin gene transcription. Our study demonstrates that a natural deletion within cdtR attenuates virulence in the epidemic ST1 C. difficile isolates without reducing colonization and persistence. Distinguishing strains on the basis of cdtR may enhance the specificity of diagnostic tests for C. difficile colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Dong
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Huaiying Lin
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Marie-Maude Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1E 4K8, Canada
| | - Julian R Garneau
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1E 4K8, Canada
| | - Jonathan K Sia
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Rita C Smith
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Fidel Haro
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Tracy McMillen
- Infection Control, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Rosemary L Pope
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Carolyn Metcalfe
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Victoria Burgo
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Che Woodson
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicholas Dylla
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Claire Kohout
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Evan S Snitkin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Vincent B Young
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Louis-Charles Fortier
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1E 4K8, Canada
| | - Mini Kamboj
- Infection Control, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Eric G Pamer
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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14
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Mullard RM, Grant E, Sheedlo MJ. Cryo-EM Analysis of the Clostridioides difficile Transferase Reveals Intoxication Intermediates. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:922. [PMID: 37613761 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad067.456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin M Mullard
- University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Pharmacology, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Eva Grant
- University of Minnesota, College of Biological Sciences, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Michael J Sheedlo
- University of Minnesota Medical School, Department of Pharmacology, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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15
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Sah P, Zenewicz LA. Modulation of innate lymphoid cells by enteric bacterial pathogens. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1219072. [PMID: 37483638 PMCID: PMC10358831 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1219072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are key regulators of tissue homeostasis, inflammation, and immunity to infections. ILCs rapidly respond to environmental cues such as cytokines, microbiota and invading pathogens which regulate their function and phenotype. Even though ILCs are rare cells, they are enriched at barrier surfaces such as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and they are often critical to the host's immune response to eliminate pathogens. On the other side of host-pathogen interactions, pathogenic bacteria also have the means to modulate these immune responses. Manipulation or evasion of the immune cells is often to the pathogen's benefit and/or to the detriment of competing microbiota. In some instances, specific bacterial virulence factors or toxins have been implicated in how the pathogen modulates immunity. In this review, we discuss the recent progress made towards understanding the role of non-cytotoxic ILCs during enteric bacterial infections, how these pathogens can modulate the immune response, and the implications these have on developing new therapies to combat infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lauren A. Zenewicz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
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16
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Naz F, Petri WA. Host Immunity and Immunization Strategies for Clostridioides difficile Infection. Clin Microbiol Rev 2023; 36:e0015722. [PMID: 37162338 PMCID: PMC10283484 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00157-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) represents a significant challenge to public health. C. difficile-associated mortality and morbidity have led the U.S. CDC to designate it as an urgent threat. Moreover, recurrence or relapses can occur in up to a third of CDI patients, due in part to antibiotics being the primary treatment for CDI and the major cause of the disease. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of innate immune responses, adaptive immune responses, and the link between innate and adaptive immune responses of the host against CDI. The other major determinants of CDI, such as C. difficile toxins, the host microbiota, and related treatments, are also described. Finally, we discuss the known therapeutic approaches and the current status of immunization strategies for CDI, which might help to bridge the knowledge gap in the generation of therapy against CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farha Naz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - William A. Petri
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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17
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Gawey BJ, Khanna S. Clostridioides difficile Infection: Landscape and Microbiome Therapeutics. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y) 2023; 19:319-328. [PMID: 37706187 PMCID: PMC10496268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea and is common in the community. Both younger individuals who may be healthy otherwise and older individuals with comorbid conditions are at risk for developing CDI, with the predominant risk factor being antibiotic use. Unlike other gastrointestinal infections, CDI is not self-limited, requires antimicrobial therapy, and tends to recur at high rates even without additional risk factor exposure. The goals of CDI management include controlling active symptoms and using a recurrence prevention strategy such as a narrow-spectrum antibiotic, tapered and pulsed regimens, antibody- based therapies (directed against toxin B), or microbiome restoration. In recent years, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been the most used modality to prevent recurrent CDI with high cure rates. Heterogeneity, lack of scalability, and serious adverse events from FMT have led to development of standardized microbiota restoration therapies (MRTs). The US Food and Drug Administration has approved 2 stool-derived MRTs for prevention of recurrent CDI: fecal microbiota, live-jslm, an enema-based therapy; and fecal microbiota spores, live-brpk, an oral therapy. A phase 3 trial for a synthetic oral MRT is underway. This article outlines the pathophysiology and treatment of CDI, focusing primarily on the gut microbiome and standardized MRTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent J. Gawey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Sahil Khanna
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
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18
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Dang Y, Ma C, Chen K, Chen Y, Jiang M, Hu K, Li L, Zeng Z, Zhang H. The Effects of a High-Fat Diet on Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Biomolecules 2023; 13:905. [PMID: 37371485 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The interactions among diet, intestinal immunity, and microbiota are complex and play contradictory roles in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). An increasing number of studies has shed light on this field. The intestinal immune balance is disrupted by a high-fat diet (HFD) in several ways, such as impairing the intestinal barrier, influencing immune cells, and altering the gut microbiota. In contrast, a rational diet is thought to maintain intestinal immunity by regulating gut microbiota. In this review, we emphasize the crucial contributions made by an HFD to the gut immune system and microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Dang
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Laboratory of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Chunxiang Ma
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Laboratory of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Kexin Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Laboratory of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yiding Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Mingshan Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Laboratory of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Kehan Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Laboratory of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lili Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Laboratory of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhen Zeng
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Laboratory of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Hu Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Laboratory of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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19
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Yadegar A, Pakpoor S, Ibrahim FF, Nabavi-Rad A, Cook L, Walter J, Seekatz AM, Wong K, Monaghan TM, Kao D. Beneficial effects of fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:695-711. [PMID: 37167952 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is highly effective in preventing recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI). However, the mechanisms underpinning its clinical efficacy are incompletely understood. Herein, we provide an overview of rCDI pathogenesis followed by a discussion of potential mechanisms of action focusing on the current understanding of trans-kingdom microbial, metabolic, immunological, and epigenetic mechanisms. We then outline the current research gaps and offer methodological recommendations for future studies to elevate the quality of research and advance knowledge translation. By combining interventional trials with multiomics technology and host and environmental factors, analyzing longitudinally collected biospecimens will generate results that can be validated with animal and other models. Collectively, this will confirm causality and improve translation, ultimately to develop targeted therapies to replace FMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbas Yadegar
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Pakpoor
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Fathima F Ibrahim
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Ali Nabavi-Rad
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Laura Cook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jens Walter
- School of Microbiology, Department of Medicine and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Anna M Seekatz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Karen Wong
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Tanya M Monaghan
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
| | - Dina Kao
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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20
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Simpson M, Bilverstone T, Leslie J, Donlan A, Uddin MJ, Petri WA, Marin N, Kuehne S, Minton NP, Petri WA. Clostridioides difficile Binary Toxin Binding Component Increases Virulence in a Hamster Model. Open Forum Infect Dis 2023; 10:ofad040. [PMID: 36895287 PMCID: PMC9991586 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of hospital-acquired gastrointestinal infection, in part due to the existence of binary toxin (CDT)-expressing hypervirulent strains. Although the effects of the CDT holotoxin on disease pathogenesis have been previously studied, we sought to investigate the role of the individual components of CDT during in vivo infection. Methods To determine the contribution of the separate components of CDT during infection, we developed strains of C difficile expressing either CDTa or CDTb individually. We then infected both mice and hamsters with these novel mutant strains and monitored them for development of severe illness. Results Although expression of CDTb without CDTa did not induce significant disease in a mouse model of C difficile infection, we found that complementation of a CDT-deficient C difficile strain with CDTb alone restored virulence in a hamster model of C difficile infection. Conclusions Overall, this study demonstrates that the binding component of C difficile binary toxin, CDTb, contributes to virulence in a hamster model of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Simpson
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Terry Bilverstone
- BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jhansi Leslie
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Alexandra Donlan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Md Jashim Uddin
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - William A Petri
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Natasha Marin
- BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Kuehne
- BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Oral Microbiology Group, School of Dentistry and Institute of Microbiology and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel P Minton
- BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - William A Petri
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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21
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Cheng JKJ, Unnikrishnan M. Clostridioides difficile infection: traversing host-pathogen interactions in the gut. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169. [PMID: 36848200 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
C. difficile is the primary cause for nosocomial infective diarrhoea. For a successful infection, C. difficile must navigate between resident gut bacteria and the harsh host environment. The perturbation of the intestinal microbiota by broad-spectrum antibiotics alters the composition and the geography of the gut microbiota, deterring colonization resistance, and enabling C. difficile to colonize. This review will discuss how C. difficile interacts with and exploits the microbiota and the host epithelium to infect and persist. We provide an overview of C. difficile virulence factors and their interactions with the gut to aid adhesion, cause epithelial damage and mediate persistence. Finally, we document the host responses to C. difficile, describing the immune cells and host pathways that are associated and triggered during C. difficile infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey K J Cheng
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Meera Unnikrishnan
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
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22
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Dong Q, Lin H, Allen MM, Garneau JR, Sia JK, Smith RC, Haro F, McMillen T, Pope RL, Metcalfe C, Burgo V, Woodson C, Dylla N, Kohout C, Sundararajan A, Snitkin ES, Young VB, Fortier LC, Kamboj M, Pamer EG. Virulence and genomic diversity among clinical isolates of ST1 (BI/NAP1/027) Clostridioides difficile. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.12.523823. [PMID: 36711955 PMCID: PMC9882218 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.12.523823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) , a leading cause of nosocomial infection, produces toxins that damage the colonic epithelium and results in colitis that varies from mild to fulminant. Variation in disease severity is poorly understood and has been attributed to host factors (age, immune competence and intestinal microbiome composition) and/or virulence differences between C. difficile strains, with some, such as the epidemic BI/NAP1/027 (MLST1) strain, being associated with greater virulence. We tested 23 MLST1(ST1) C. difficile clinical isolates for virulence in antibiotic-treated C57BL/6 mice. All isolates encoded a complete Tcd pathogenicity locus and achieved similar colonization densities in mice. Disease severity varied, however, with 5 isolates causing lethal infections, 16 isolates causing a range of moderate infections and 2 isolates resulting in no detectable disease. The avirulent ST1 isolates did not cause disease in highly susceptible Myd88 -/- or germ-free mice. Genomic analysis of the avirulent isolates revealed a 69 base-pair deletion in the N-terminus of the cdtR gene, which encodes a response regulator for binary toxin (CDT) expression. Genetic deletion of the 69 base-pair cdtR sequence in the highly virulent ST1 R20291 C. difficile strain rendered it avirulent and reduced toxin gene transcription in cecal contents. Our study demonstrates that a natural deletion within cdtR attenuates virulence in the epidemic ST1 C. difficile strain without reducing colonization and persistence in the gut. Distinguishing strains on the basis of cdtR may enhance the specificity of diagnostic tests for C. difficile colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Dong
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Huaiying Lin
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Marie-Maude Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Julian R. Garneau
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jonathan K. Sia
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Rita C. Smith
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Fidel Haro
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Tracy McMillen
- Infection Control, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rosemary L. Pope
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Carolyn Metcalfe
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Victoria Burgo
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Che Woodson
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Nicholas Dylla
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Claire Kohout
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Evan S Snitkin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Vincent B. Young
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Louis-Charles Fortier
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mini Kamboj
- Infection Control, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eric G. Pamer
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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23
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Alam MZ, Maslanka JR, Abt MC. Immunological consequences of microbiome-based therapeutics. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1046472. [PMID: 36713364 PMCID: PMC9878555 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1046472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The complex network of microscopic organisms living on and within humans, collectively referred to as the microbiome, produce wide array of biologically active molecules that shape our health. Disruption of the microbiome is associated with susceptibility to a range of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, allergy, obesity, and infection. A new series of next-generation microbiome-based therapies are being developed to treat these diseases by transplanting bacteria or bacterial-derived byproducts into a diseased individual to reset the recipient's microbiome and restore health. Microbiome transplantation therapy is still in its early stages of being a routine treatment option and, with a few notable exceptions, has had limited success in clinical trials. In this review, we highlight the successes and challenges of implementing these therapies to treat disease with a focus on interactions between the immune system and microbiome-based therapeutics. The immune activation status of the microbiome transplant recipient prior to transplantation has an important role in supporting bacterial engraftment. Following engraftment, microbiome transplant derived signals can modulate immune function to ameliorate disease. As novel microbiome-based therapeutics are developed, consideration of how the transplants will interact with the immune system will be a key factor in determining whether the microbiome-based transplant elicits its intended therapeutic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael C. Abt
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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24
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Tian S, Xiong X, Zeng J, Wang S, Tremblay BJM, Chen P, Chen B, Liu M, Chen P, Sheng K, Zeve D, Qi W, Breault DT, Rodríguez C, Gerhard R, Jin R, Doxey AC, Dong M. Identification of TFPI as a receptor reveals recombination-driven receptor switching in Clostridioides difficile toxin B variants. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6786. [PMID: 36351897 PMCID: PMC9646764 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33964-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxin B (TcdB) is a major exotoxin responsible for diseases associated with Clostridioides difficile infection. Its sequence variations among clinical isolates may contribute to the difficulty in developing effective therapeutics. Here, we investigate receptor-binding specificity of major TcdB subtypes (TcdB1 to TcdB12). We find that representative members of subtypes 2, 4, 7, 10, 11, and 12 do not recognize the established host receptor, frizzled proteins (FZDs). Using a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9-mediated screen, we identify tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) as a host receptor for TcdB4. TFPI is recognized by a region in TcdB4 that is homologous to the FZD-binding site in TcdB1. Analysis of 206 TcdB variant sequences reveals a set of six residues within this receptor-binding site that defines a TFPI binding-associated haplotype (designated B4/B7) that is present in all TcdB4 members, a subset of TcdB7, and one member of TcdB2. Intragenic micro-recombination (IR) events have occurred around this receptor-binding region in TcdB7 and TcdB2 members, resulting in either TFPI- or FZD-binding capabilities. Introduction of B4/B7-haplotype residues into TcdB1 enables dual recognition of TFPI and FZDs. Finally, TcdB10 also recognizes TFPI, although it does not belong to the B4/B7 haplotype, and shows species selectivity: it recognizes TFPI of chicken and to a lesser degree mouse, but not human, dog, or cattle versions. These findings identify TFPI as a TcdB receptor and reveal IR-driven changes on receptor-specificity among TcdB variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songhai Tian
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Xiaozhe Xiong
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ji Zeng
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, China
| | - Benjamin Jean-Marie Tremblay
- Department of Biology, Cheriton School of Computer Science, and Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Peng Chen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Baohua Chen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Pengsheng Chen
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kuanwei Sheng
- Wyss Institute for Bioinspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Daniel Zeve
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wanshu Qi
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - David T Breault
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - César Rodríguez
- Faculty of Microbiology & CIET, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Ralf Gerhard
- Institute of Toxicology, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Rongsheng Jin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Andrew C Doxey
- Department of Biology, Cheriton School of Computer Science, and Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Min Dong
- Department of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Cryo-EM structures of the translocational binary toxin complex CDTa-bound CDTb-pore from Clostridioides difficile. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6119. [PMID: 36253419 PMCID: PMC9576733 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33888-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Some bacteria express a binary toxin translocation system, consisting of an enzymatic subunit and translocation pore, that delivers enzymes into host cells through endocytosis. The most clinically important bacterium with such a system is Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium). The CDTa and CDTb proteins from its system represent important therapeutic targets. CDTb has been proposed to be a di-heptamer, but its physiological heptameric structure has not yet been reported. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of CDTa bound to the CDTb-pore, which reveals that CDTa binding induces partial unfolding and tilting of the first CDTa α-helix. In the CDTb-pore, an NSS-loop exists in 'in' and 'out' conformations, suggesting its involvement in substrate translocation. Finally, 3D variability analysis revealed CDTa movements from a folded to an unfolded state. These dynamic structural information provide insights into drug design against hypervirulent C. difficile strains.
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Mileto SJ, Hutton ML, Walton SL, Das A, Ioannidis LJ, Ketagoda D, Quinn KM, Denton KM, Hansen DS, Lyras D. Bezlotoxumab prevents extraintestinal organ damage induced by Clostridioides difficile infection. Gut Microbes 2022; 14:2117504. [PMID: 36045589 PMCID: PMC9450906 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2022.2117504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the most common cause of infectious antibiotic-associated diarrhea, with disease mediated by two major toxins TcdA and TcdB. In severe cases, systemic disease complications may arise, resulting in fatal disease. Systemic disease in animal models has been described, with thymic damage an observable consequence of severe disease in mice. Using a mouse model of C. difficile infection, we examined this disease phenotype, focussing on the thymus and serum markers of systemic disease. The efficacy of bezlotoxumab, a monoclonal TcdB therapeutic, to prevent toxin mediated systemic disease complications was also examined. C. difficile infection causes toxin-dependent thymic damage and CD4+CD8+ thymocyte depletion in mice. These systemic complications coincide with changes in biochemical markers of liver and kidney function, including increased serum urea and creatinine, and hypoglycemia. Administration of bezlotoxumab during C. difficile infection prevents systemic disease and thymic atrophy, without blocking gut damage, suggesting the leakage of gut contents into circulation may influence systemic disease. As the thymus has such a crucial role in T cell production and immune system development, these findings may have important implications in relapse of C. difficile disease and impaired immunity during C. difficile infection. The prevention of thymic atrophy and reduced systemic response following bezlotoxumab treatment, without altering colonic damage, highlights the importance of systemic disease in C. difficile infection, and provides new insights into the mechanism of action for this therapeutic.Abbreviations: Acute kidney injury (AKI); Alanine Transaminase (ALT); Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST); C. difficile infection (CDI); chronic kidney disease (CKD); combined repetitive oligo-peptides (CROPS); cardiovascular disease (CVD); Double positive (DP); hematoxylin and eosin (H&E); immunohistochemical (IHC); multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS); phosphate buffered saline (PBS); standard error of the mean (SEM); surface layer proteins (SLP); Single positive (SP); wild-type (WT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Mileto
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Melanie L. Hutton
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Sarah L. Walton
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Antariksh Das
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Lisa J. Ioannidis
- Walter and Eliza Hall Insitiute, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Don Ketagoda
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Kylie M. Quinn
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia,RMIT University School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Chronic Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases Program, Bundoora, Australia
| | - Kate M. Denton
- Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Diana S. Hansen
- Walter and Eliza Hall Insitiute, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Dena Lyras
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia,CONTACT Dena Lyras Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, 19 Innovation Walk, Clayton, Victoria3800, Australia
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Soveral LF, Korczaguin GG, Schmidt PS, Nunes IS, Fernandes C, Zárate-Bladés CR. Immunological mechanisms of fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. World J Gastroenterol 2022; 28:4762-4772. [PMID: 36156924 PMCID: PMC9476857 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i33.4762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a successful method for treating recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection (rCDI) with around 90% efficacy. Due to the relative simplicity of this approach, it is being widely used and currently, thousands of patients have been treated with FMT worldwide. Nonetheless, the mechanisms underlying its effects are just beginning to be understood. Data indicate that FMT effectiveness is due to a combination of microbiological direct mechanisms against C. difficile, but also through indirect mechanisms including the production of microbiota-derived metabolites as secondary bile acids and short chain fatty acids. Moreover, the modulation of the strong inflammatory response triggered by C. difficile after FMT seems to rely on a pivotal role of regulatory T cells, which would be responsible for the reduction of several cells and soluble inflammatory mediators, ensuing normalization of the intestinal mucosal immune system. In this minireview, we analyze recent advances in these immunological aspects associated with the efficacy of FMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas F Soveral
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Center for Dysbiosis Control, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88037-000, Brazil
| | - Gabriela G Korczaguin
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Center for Dysbiosis Control, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88037-000, Brazil
| | - Pedro S Schmidt
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Center for Dysbiosis Control, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88037-000, Brazil
| | - Isabel S Nunes
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Center for Dysbiosis Control, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88037-000, Brazil
| | - Camilo Fernandes
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Center for Dysbiosis Control, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88037-000, Brazil
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Nereu Ramos, Florianopolis 88025-301, Brazil
| | - Carlos R Zárate-Bladés
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Center for Dysbiosis Control, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88037-000, Brazil
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Ernst K. Requirement of Peptidyl-Prolyl Cis/Trans isomerases and chaperones for cellular uptake of bacterial AB-type toxins. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:938015. [PMID: 35992160 PMCID: PMC9387773 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.938015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial AB-type toxins are proteins released by the producing bacteria and are the causative agents for several severe diseases including cholera, whooping cough, diphtheria or enteric diseases. Their unique AB-type structure enables their uptake into mammalian cells via sophisticated mechanisms exploiting cellular uptake and transport pathways. The binding/translocation B-subunit facilitates binding of the toxin to a specific receptor on the cell surface. This is followed by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Then the enzymatically active A-subunit either escapes from endosomes in a pH-dependent manner or the toxin is further transported through the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum from where the A-subunit translocates into the cytosol. In the cytosol, the A-subunits enzymatically modify a specific substrate which leads to cellular reactions resulting in clinical symptoms that can be life-threatening. Both intracellular uptake routes require the A-subunit to unfold to either fit through a pore formed by the B-subunit into the endosomal membrane or to be recognized by the ER-associated degradation pathway. This led to the hypothesis that folding helper enzymes such as chaperones and peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases are required to assist the translocation of the A-subunit into the cytosol and/or facilitate their refolding into an enzymatically active conformation. This review article gives an overview about the role of heat shock proteins Hsp90 and Hsp70 as well as of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases of the cyclophilin and FK506 binding protein families during uptake of bacterial AB-type toxins with a focus on clostridial binary toxins Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin, Clostridium perfringens iota toxin, Clostridioides difficile CDT toxin, as well as diphtheria toxin, pertussis toxin and cholera toxin.
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Abstract
The severity of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) has increased over the last few decades. Patient age, white blood cell count, and creatinine levels as well as C. difficile ribotype and toxin genes have been associated with disease severity. However, it is unclear whether specific members of the gut microbiota are associated with variations in disease severity. The gut microbiota is known to interact with C. difficile during infection. Perturbations to the gut microbiota are necessary for C. difficile to colonize the gut. The gut microbiota can inhibit C. difficile colonization through bile acid metabolism, nutrient consumption, and bacteriocin production. Here, we sought to demonstrate that members of the gut bacterial communities can also contribute to disease severity. We derived diverse gut communities by colonizing germfree mice with different human fecal communities. The mice were then infected with a single C. difficile ribotype 027 clinical isolate, which resulted in moribundity and histopathologic differences. The variation in severity was associated with the human fecal community that the mice received. Generally, bacterial populations with pathogenic potential, such as Enterococcus, Helicobacter, and Klebsiella, were associated with more-severe outcomes. Bacterial groups associated with fiber degradation and bile acid metabolism, such as Anaerotignum, Blautia, Lactonifactor, and Monoglobus, were associated with less-severe outcomes. These data indicate that, in addition to the host and C. difficile subtype, populations of gut bacteria can influence CDI disease severity.
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30
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Kordus SL, Thomas AK, Lacy DB. Clostridioides difficile toxins: mechanisms of action and antitoxin therapeutics. Nat Rev Microbiol 2022; 20:285-298. [PMID: 34837014 PMCID: PMC9018519 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00660-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive anaerobe that can cause a spectrum of disorders that range in severity from mild diarrhoea to fulminant colitis and/or death. The bacterium produces up to three toxins, which are considered the major virulence factors in C. difficile infection. These toxins promote inflammation, tissue damage and diarrhoea. In this Review, we highlight recent biochemical and structural advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that govern host-toxin interactions. Understanding how C. difficile toxins affect the host forms a foundation for developing novel strategies for treatment and prevention of C. difficile infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L. Kordus
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA,Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA,These authors contributed equally: Shannon L. Kordus, Audrey K. Thomas
| | - Audrey K. Thomas
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA,Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA,These authors contributed equally: Shannon L. Kordus, Audrey K. Thomas
| | - D. Borden Lacy
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA,Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA,The Veterans Affairs, Tennessee Valley Healthcare, System, Nashville, TN, USA,
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Martínez-Meléndez A, Cruz-López F, Morfin-Otero R, Maldonado-Garza HJ, Garza-González E. An Update on Clostridioides difficile Binary Toxin. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14050305. [PMID: 35622552 PMCID: PMC9146464 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14050305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with Clostridioides difficile (CDI), a common healthcare-associated infection, includes symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to severe cases of pseudomembranous colitis. Toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB) cause cytotoxicity and cellular detachment from intestinal epithelium and are responsible for CDI symptomatology. Approximately 20% of C. difficile strains produce a binary toxin (CDT) encoded by the tcdA and tcdB genes, which is thought to enhance TcdA and TcdB toxicity; however, the role of CDT in CDI remains controversial. Here, we focused on describing the main features of CDT and its impact on the host, clinical relevance, epidemiology, and potential therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Martínez-Meléndez
- Subdirección Académica de Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Pedro de Alba S/N, Cd Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza 66450, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; (A.M.-M.); (F.C.-L.)
| | - Flora Cruz-López
- Subdirección Académica de Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Pedro de Alba S/N, Cd Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza 66450, Nuevo Leon, Mexico; (A.M.-M.); (F.C.-L.)
| | - Rayo Morfin-Otero
- Instituto de Patología Infecciosa y Experimental “Dr. Francisco Ruiz Sánchez”, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Calle Hospital 308, Colonia el Retiro, Guadalajara 44280, Jalisco, Mexico;
| | - Héctor J. Maldonado-Garza
- Servicio de Gastroenterología, Facultad de Medicina/Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González”, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero Pte. S/N y Av. José E. González, Col. Mitras Centro, Monterrey 64460, Nuevo Leon, Mexico;
| | - Elvira Garza-González
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González”, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Francisco I. Madero Pte. S/N y Av. José E. González, Col. Mitras Centro, Monterrey 64460, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
- Correspondence:
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Luo J, Yang Q, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Wan L, Zhan X, Zhou Y, He L, Li D, Jin D, Zhen Y, Huang J, Li Y, Tao L. TFPI is a colonic crypt receptor for TcdB from hypervirulent clade 2 C. difficile. Cell 2022; 185:980-994.e15. [PMID: 35303428 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of hypervirulent clade 2 Clostridioides difficile is associated with severe symptoms and accounts for >20% of global infections. TcdB is a dominant virulence factor of C. difficile, and clade 2 strains exclusively express two TcdB variants (TcdB2 and TcdB4) that use unknown receptors distinct from the classic TcdB. Here, we performed CRISPR/Cas9 screens for TcdB4 and identified tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) as its receptor. Using cryo-EM, we determined a complex structure of the full-length TcdB4 with TFPI, defining a common receptor-binding region for TcdB. Residue variations within this region divide major TcdB variants into 2 classes: one recognizes Frizzled (FZD), and the other recognizes TFPI. TFPI is highly expressed in the intestinal glands, and recombinant TFPI protects the colonic epithelium from TcdB2/4. These findings establish TFPI as a colonic crypt receptor for TcdB from clade 2 C. difficile and reveal new mechanisms for CDI pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Luo
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; School of Food Science and Biotechnology Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China
| | - Li Wan
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Xiechao Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Yao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Liuqing He
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Danyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Dazhi Jin
- Center of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China; School of Laboratory Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Ying Zhen
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China.
| | - Liang Tao
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China.
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Carlson TJ, Gonzales-Luna AJ, Garey KW. Fulminant Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Review of Treatment Options for a Life-Threatening Infection. Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2022; 43:28-38. [PMID: 35172356 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1740973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Fulminant Clostridioides difficile infection (FCDI) encompasses 3 to 5% of all CDI cases with associated mortality rates between 30 and 40%. Major treatment modalities include surgery and medical management with antibiotic and nonantibiotic therapies. However, identification of patients with CDI that will progress to FCDI is difficult and makes it challenging to direct medical management and identify those who may benefit from surgery. Furthermore, since it is difficult to study such a critically ill population, data investigating treatment options are limited. Surgical management with diverting loop ileostomy (LI) instead of a total abdominal colectomy (TAC) with end ileostomy has several appealing advantages, and studies have not consistently demonstrated a clinical benefit with this less-invasive strategy, so both LI and TAC remain acceptable surgical options. Successful medical management of FCDI is complicated by pharmacokinetic changes that occur in critically ill patients, and there is an absence of high-quality studies that included patients with FCDI. Recommendations accordingly include a combination of antibiotics administered via multiple routes to ensure adequate drug concentrations in the colon: intravenous metronidazole, high-dose oral vancomycin, and rectal vancomycin. Although fidaxomicin is now recommended as first-line therapy for non-FCDI, there are limited clinical data to support its use in FCDI. Several nonantibiotic therapies, including fecal microbiota transplantation and intravenous immunoglobulin, have shown success as adjunctive therapies, but they are unlikely to be effective alone. In this review, we aim to summarize diagnosis and treatment options for FCDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis J Carlson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, High Point University Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, High Point, North Carolina
| | - Anne J Gonzales-Luna
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, Texas
| | - Kevin W Garey
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, Texas
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Williamson CHD, Stone NE, Nunnally AE, Roe CC, Vazquez AJ, Lucero SA, Hornstra H, Wagner DM, Keim P, Rupnik M, Janezic S, Sahl JW. Identification of novel, cryptic Clostridioides species isolates from environmental samples collected from diverse geographical locations. Microb Genom 2022; 8. [PMID: 35166655 PMCID: PMC8942030 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a pathogen often associated with hospital-acquired infection or antimicrobial-induced disease; however, increasing evidence indicates infections can result from community or environmental sources. Most genomic sequencing of C. difficile has focused on clinical strains, although evidence is growing that C. difficile spores are widespread in soil and water in the environment. In this study, we sequenced 38 genomes collected from soil and water isolates in Flagstaff (AZ, USA) and Slovenia in an effort targeted towards environmental surveillance of C. difficile. At the average nucleotide identity (ANI) level, the genomes were divergent to C. difficile at a threshold consistent with different species. A phylogenetic analysis of these divergent genomes together with Clostridioides genomes available in public repositories confirmed the presence of three previously described, cryptic Clostridioides species and added two additional clades. One of the cryptic species (C-III) was almost entirely composed of Arizona and Slovenia genomes, and contained distinct sub-groups from each region (evidenced by SNP and gene-content differences). A comparative genomics analysis identified multiple unique coding sequences per clade, which can serve as markers for subsequent environmental surveys of these cryptic species. Homologues to the C. difficile toxin genes, tcdA and tcdB, were found in cryptic species genomes, although they were not part of the typical pathogenicity locus observed in C. difficile, and in silico PCR suggested that some would not amplify with widely used PCR diagnostic tests. We also identified gene homologues in the binary toxin cluster, including some present on phage and, for what is believed to be the first time, on a plasmid. All isolates were obtained from environmental samples, so the function and disease potential of these toxin homologues is currently unknown. Enzymatic profiles of a subset of cryptic isolates (n=5) demonstrated differences, suggesting that these isolates contain substantial metabolic diversity. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was observed across a subset of isolates (n=4), suggesting that AMR mechanisms are intrinsic to the genus, perhaps originating from a shared environmental origin. This study greatly expands our understanding of the genomic diversity of Clostridioides. These results have implications for C. difficile One Health research, for more sensitive C. difficile diagnostics, as well as for understanding the evolutionary history of C. difficile and the development of pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathan E Stone
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 4073, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Amalee E Nunnally
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 4073, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Chandler C Roe
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 4073, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Adam J Vazquez
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 4073, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Samantha A Lucero
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 4073, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Heidie Hornstra
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 4073, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - David M Wagner
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 4073, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Paul Keim
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 4073, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Maja Rupnik
- National Laboratory for Health, Environment and Food, Prvomajska Ulica 1, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Sandra Janezic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Taborska 8, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Jason William Sahl
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, PO Box 4073, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
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35
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Fishbein SR, Robinson JI, Hink T, Reske KA, Newcomer EP, Burnham CAD, Henderson JP, Dubberke ER, Dantas G. Multi-omics investigation of Clostridioides difficile-colonized patients reveals pathogen and commensal correlates of C. difficile pathogenesis. eLife 2022; 11:72801. [PMID: 35083969 PMCID: PMC8794467 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) imposes a substantial burden on the health care system in the United States. Understanding the biological basis for the spectrum of C. difficile-related disease manifestations is imperative to improving treatment and prevention of CDI. Here, we investigate the correlates of asymptomatic C. difficile colonization using a multi-omics approach. We compared the fecal microbiome and metabolome profiles of patients with CDI versus asymptomatically colonized patients, integrating clinical and pathogen factors into our analysis. We found that CDI patients were more likely to be colonized by strains with the binary toxin (CDT) locus or strains of ribotype 027, which are often hypervirulent. We find that microbiomes of asymptomatically colonized patients are significantly enriched for species in the class Clostridia relative to those of symptomatic patients. Relative to CDI microbiomes, asymptomatically colonized patient microbiomes were enriched with sucrose degradation pathways encoded by commensal Clostridia, in addition to glycoside hydrolases putatively involved in starch and sucrose degradation. Fecal metabolomics corroborates the carbohydrate degradation signature: we identify carbohydrate compounds enriched in asymptomatically colonized patients relative to CDI patients. Further, we reveal that across C. difficile isolates, the carbohydrates sucrose, rhamnose, and lactulose do not serve as robust growth substrates in vitro, consistent with their enriched detection in our metagenomic and metabolite profiling of asymptomatically colonized individuals. We conclude that pathogen genetic variation may be strongly related to disease outcome. More interestingly, we hypothesize that in asymptomatically colonized individuals, carbohydrate metabolism by other commensal Clostridia may prevent CDI by inhibiting C. difficile proliferation. These insights into C. difficile colonization and putative commensal competition suggest novel avenues to develop probiotic or prebiotic therapeutics against CDI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skye Rs Fishbein
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - John I Robinson
- Center for Women's Infectious Disease Research, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States
| | - Tiffany Hink
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Kimberly A Reske
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Erin P Newcomer
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Carey-Ann D Burnham
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Jeffrey P Henderson
- Center for Women's Infectious Disease Research, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States
| | - Erik R Dubberke
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States
| | - Gautam Dantas
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, United States
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36
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Chandra H, Sharma KK, Tuovinen OH, Sun X, Shukla P. Pathobionts: mechanisms of survival, expansion, and interaction with host with a focus on Clostridioides difficile. Gut Microbes 2022; 13:1979882. [PMID: 34724858 PMCID: PMC8565823 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1979882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathobionts are opportunistic microbes that emerge as a result of perturbations in the healthy microbiome due to complex interactions of various genetic, exposomal, microbial, and host factors that lead to their selection and expansion. Their proliferations can aggravate inflammatory manifestations, trigger autoimmune diseases, and lead to severe life-threatening conditions. Current surge in microbiome research is unwinding these complex interplays between disease development and protection against pathobionts. This review summarizes the current knowledge of pathobiont emergence with a focus on Clostridioides difficile and the recent findings on the roles of immune cells such as iTreg cells, Th17 cells, innate lymphoid cells, and cytokines in protection against pathobionts. The review calls for adoption of innovative tools and cutting-edge technologies in clinical diagnostics and therapeutics to provide insights in identification and quantification of pathobionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harish Chandra
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India,Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Krishna Kant Sharma
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Recombinant DNA Technology, Department of Microbiology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | - Olli H. Tuovinen
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Xingmin Sun
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA,Xingmin Sun Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Pratyoosh Shukla
- School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India,Enzyme Technology and Protein Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India,CONTACT Pratyoosh Shukla School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
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Nibbering B, Gerding DN, Kuijper EJ, Zwittink RD, Smits WK. Host Immune Responses to Clostridioides difficile: Toxins and Beyond. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:804949. [PMID: 34992590 PMCID: PMC8724541 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.804949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is often resistant to the actions of antibiotics to treat other bacterial infections and the resulting C. difficile infection (CDI) is among the leading causes of nosocomial infectious diarrhea worldwide. The primary virulence mechanism contributing to CDI is the production of toxins. Treatment failures and recurrence of CDI have urged the medical community to search for novel treatment options. Strains that do not produce toxins, so called non-toxigenic C. difficile, have been known to colonize the colon and protect the host against CDI. In this review, a comprehensive description and comparison of the immune responses to toxigenic C. difficile and non-toxigenic adherence, and colonization factors, here called non-toxin proteins, is provided. This revealed a number of similarities between the host immune responses to toxigenic C. difficile and non-toxin proteins, such as the influx of granulocytes and the type of T-cell response. Differences may reflect genuine variation between the responses to toxigenic or non-toxigenic C. difficile or gaps in the current knowledge with respect to the immune response toward non-toxigenic C. difficile. Toxin-based and non-toxin-based immunization studies have been evaluated to further explore the role of B cells and reveal that plasma cells are important in protection against CDI. Since the success of toxin-based interventions in humans to date is limited, it is vital that future research will focus on the immune responses to non-toxin proteins and in particular non-toxigenic strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Nibbering
- Center for Microbiome Analyses and Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Dale N Gerding
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Research Service, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, United States
| | - Ed J Kuijper
- Center for Microbiome Analyses and Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Romy D Zwittink
- Center for Microbiome Analyses and Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Wiep Klaas Smits
- Center for Microbiome Analyses and Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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38
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Marquardt I, Jakob J, Scheibel J, Hofmann JD, Klawonn F, Neumann-Schaal M, Gerhard R, Bruder D, Jänsch L. Clostridioides difficile Toxin CDT Induces Cytotoxic Responses in Human Mucosal-Associated Invariant T (MAIT) Cells. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:752549. [PMID: 34992584 PMCID: PMC8727052 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.752549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the major cause of antibiotic-associated colitis (CDAC) with increasing prevalence in morbidity and mortality. Severity of CDAC has been attributed to hypervirulent C. difficile strains, which in addition to toxin A and B (TcdA, TcdB) produce the binary toxin C. difficile transferase (CDT). However, the link between these toxins and host immune responses as potential drivers of immunopathology are still incompletely understood. Here, we provide first experimental evidence that C. difficile toxins efficiently activate human mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. Among the tested toxins, CDT and more specifically, the substrate binding and pore-forming subunit CDTb provoked significant MAIT cell activation resulting in selective MAIT cell degranulation of the lytic granule components perforin and granzyme B. CDT-induced MAIT cell responses required accessory immune cells, and we suggest monocytes as a potential CDT target cell population. Within the peripheral blood mononuclear cell fraction, we found increased IL-18 levels following CDT stimulation and MAIT cell response was indeed partly dependent on this cytokine. Surprisingly, CDT-induced MAIT cell activation was found to be partially MR1-dependent, although bacterial-derived metabolite antigens were absent. However, the role of antigen presentation in this process was not analyzed here and needs to be validated in future studies. Thus, MR1-dependent induction of MAIT cell cytotoxicity might be instrumental for hypervirulent C. difficile to overcome cellular barriers and may contribute to pathophysiology of CDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Marquardt
- Cellular Proteomics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Josefine Jakob
- Cellular Proteomics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jessica Scheibel
- Cellular Proteomics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Julia Danielle Hofmann
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Frank Klawonn
- Cellular Proteomics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Metabolomics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ralf Gerhard
- Institute of Toxicology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Dunja Bruder
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Infection Immunology, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Immune Regulation, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lothar Jänsch
- Cellular Proteomics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
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Wang Y, Salmasian H, Schluger A, Gomez-Simmonds A, Choy A, Li J, Axelrad JE, Freedberg DE. A Prediction Model Incorporating Peripheral Eosinopenia as a Novel Risk Factor for Death After Hospitalization for Clostridioides difficile Infection. GASTRO HEP ADVANCES 2022; 1:38-44. [PMID: 35974881 PMCID: PMC9377641 DOI: 10.1016/j.gastha.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is associated with a range of outcomes, and existing prediction models for death among patients with CDI are imprecise. Peripheral eosinopenia has been proposed as a novel risk factor for death among patients with CDI but has not been incorporated into prediction models. This study aimed to develop and validate a prediction model for death among patients hospitalized with CDI that incorporated peripheral eosinopenia. METHODS: Eosinopenia was defined as 0 eosinophils/μL on the soonest peripheral blood drawn within the 48-hour window of the CDI test (before or after). Adults were eligible for the study if they were hospitalized at any one of 3 large, unaffiliated hospital networks, tested positive for CDI by stool polymerase chain reaction, and received appropriate anti-CDI treatment. Patients were followed for all-cause death for up to 30 days. RESULTS: There were 4518 unique hospitalized adults with CDI included (2142 in the derivation cohort and 2376 in the validation cohort). All-cause 30-day mortality was 9% and 10% in the cohorts. In the validation cohort, the factors most strongly associated with death were eosinopenia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.77–3.50), albumin <3 g/dL (aOR 3.26, 95% CI 2.13–3.49), and creatinine >1.5 mg/dL (aOR 2.55, 95% CI 1.86–3.49). A 6-variable clinical prediction model was developed that improved on existing classification schemes for CDI severity (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.75 vs 0.68). CONCLUSION: Among adults hospitalized with CDI, peripheral eosinopenia was associated with increased risk of all-cause 30-day mortality. A prediction model incorporating peripheral eosinopenia was developed to improve care for hospitalized patients with CDI through risk stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Hojjat Salmasian
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Aaron Schluger
- Department of Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York
| | | | - Alexa Choy
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Jianhua Li
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | | | - Daniel E. Freedberg
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
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40
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Simpson HL, Roberts CL, Thompson LM, Leiper CR, Gittens N, Trotter E, Duckworth CA, Papoutsopoulou S, Miyajima F, Roberts P, O'Kennedy N, Rhodes JM, Campbell BJ. Soluble Non-Starch Polysaccharides From Plantain ( Musa x paradisiaca L.) Diminish Epithelial Impact of Clostridioides difficile. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:766293. [PMID: 34955836 PMCID: PMC8707065 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.766293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Adhesion of this Gram-positive pathogen to the intestinal epithelium is a crucial step in CDI, with recurrence and relapse of disease dependent on epithelial interaction of its endospores. Close proximity, or adhesion of, hypervirulent strains to the intestinal mucosa are also likely to be necessary for the release of C. difficile toxins, which when internalized, result in intestinal epithelial cell rounding, damage, inflammation, loss of barrier function and diarrhoea. Interrupting these C. difficile-epithelium interactions could therefore represent a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent and treat CDI. Intake of dietary fibre is widely recognised as being beneficial for intestinal health, and we have previously shown that soluble non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) from plantain banana (Musa spp.), can block epithelial adhesion and invasion of a number of gut pathogens, such as E. coli and Salmonellae. Here, we assessed the action of plantain NSP, and a range of alternative soluble plant fibres, for inhibitory action on epithelial interactions of C. difficile clinical isolates, purified endospore preparations and toxins. We found that plantain NSP possessed ability to disrupt epithelial adhesion of C. difficile vegetative cells and spores, with inhibitory activity against C. difficile found within the acidic (pectin-rich) polysaccharide component, through interaction with the intestinal epithelium. Similar activity was found with NSP purified from broccoli and leek, although seen to be less potent than NSP from plantain. Whilst plantain NSP could not block the interaction and intracellular action of purified C. difficile toxins, it significantly diminished the epithelial impact of C. difficile, reducing both bacteria and toxin induced inflammation, activation of caspase 3/7 and cytotoxicity in human intestinal cell-line and murine intestinal organoid cultures. Dietary supplementation with soluble NSP from plantain may therefore confer a protective effect in CDI patients by preventing adhesion of C. difficile to the mucosa, i.e. a “contrabiotic” effect, and diminishing its epithelial impact. This suggests that plantain soluble dietary fibre may be a therapeutically effective nutritional product for use in the prevention or treatment of CDI and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Simpson
- The Henry Wellcome Laboratories of Molecular & Cellular Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Carol L Roberts
- The Henry Wellcome Laboratories of Molecular & Cellular Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Louise M Thompson
- The Henry Wellcome Laboratories of Molecular & Cellular Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Cameron R Leiper
- The Henry Wellcome Laboratories of Molecular & Cellular Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Nehana Gittens
- The Henry Wellcome Laboratories of Molecular & Cellular Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ellie Trotter
- The Henry Wellcome Laboratories of Molecular & Cellular Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Carrie A Duckworth
- The Henry Wellcome Laboratories of Molecular & Cellular Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Stamatia Papoutsopoulou
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Fabio Miyajima
- Wolfson Centre for Personalised Medicine, Department of Molecular & Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Eusébio, Brazil
| | - Paul Roberts
- Department of Microbiology, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,School for Medicine and Clinical Practice, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
| | - Niamh O'Kennedy
- Provexis PLC, c/o The University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan M Rhodes
- The Henry Wellcome Laboratories of Molecular & Cellular Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Barry J Campbell
- The Henry Wellcome Laboratories of Molecular & Cellular Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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41
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Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Increases Colonic IL-25 and Dampens Tissue Inflammation in Patients with Recurrent Clostridioides difficile. mSphere 2021; 6:e0066921. [PMID: 34704776 PMCID: PMC8550158 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00669-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most common hospital-acquired infection in the United States. Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis is the primary cause of susceptibility, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as an effective therapy for recurrence. We previously demonstrated in the mouse model of CDI that antibiotic-induced dysbiosis reduced colonic expression of interleukin 25 (IL-25) and that FMT protected in part by restoring IL-25 signaling. Here, we conducted a prospective study in humans to test if FMT induced IL-25 expression in the colons of patients with recurrent CDI (rCDI). Colonic biopsy specimens and blood were collected at the time of FMT and 60 days later. Colon biopsy specimens were analyzed for IL-25 protein levels, total tissue transcriptome, and epithelium-associated microbiota before and after FMT, and peripheral immune cells were immunophenotyped. FMT increased alpha diversity of the colonic microbiota and levels of IL-25 in colonic tissue. In addition, FMT increased expression of homeostatic genes and repressed inflammatory genes. Finally, circulating Th17 cells were decreased post-FMT. The increase in levels of the cytokine IL-25 accompanied by decreased inflammation is consistent with FMT acting in part to protect from recurrent CDI via restoration of commensal activation of type 2 immunity. IMPORTANCE Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an effective treatment for C. difficile infection for most patients; however, introducing a complex mixture of microbes also has had unintended consequences for some patients. Attempts to create a standardized probiotic therapeutic that recapitulates the efficacy of FMT have been unsuccessful to date. We sought to understand what immune markers are changed in patients undergoing FMT to treat recurrent C. difficile infection and identified an immune signaling molecule, IL-25, that was restored by FMT. This finding indicates that adjunctive therapy with IL-25 could be useful in treating C. difficile infection.
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Ressler A, Wang J, Rao K. Defining the black box: a narrative review of factors associated with adverse outcomes from severe Clostridioides difficile infection. Therap Adv Gastroenterol 2021; 14:17562848211048127. [PMID: 34646358 PMCID: PMC8504270 DOI: 10.1177/17562848211048127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the United States, Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of healthcare-associated infection, affecting nearly half a million people and resulting in more than 20,000 in-hospital deaths every year. It is therefore imperative to better characterize the intricate interplay between C. difficile microbial factors, host immunologic signatures, and clinical features that are associated with adverse outcomes of severe CDI. In this narrative review, we discuss the implications of C. difficile genetics and virulence factors in the molecular epidemiology of CDI, and the utility of early biomarkers in predicting the clinical trajectory of patients at risk of developing severe CDI. Furthermore, we identify associations between host immune factors and CDI outcomes in both animal models and human studies. Next, we highlight clinical factors including renal dysfunction, aging, blood biomarkers, level of care, and chronic illnesses that can affect severe CDI diagnosis and outcome. Finally, we present our perspectives on two specific treatments pertinent to patient outcomes: metronidazole administration and surgery. Together, this review explores the various venues of CDI research and highlights the importance of integrating microbial, host, and clinical data to help clinicians make optimal treatment decisions based on accurate prediction of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Ressler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Joyce Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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43
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Ota Y, Hongou N, Nukui Y, Koike R, Tohda S, Saito R. Evaluation of polymerase chain reaction-based open reading frame typing method for the clonality investigation of Clostridioides difficile isolates. Anaerobe 2021; 72:102462. [PMID: 34592472 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2021.102462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Here, we assessed the utility of a polymerase chain reaction-based open reading frame typing assay for investigating the clonality of Clostridioides difficile isolates. This assay has a higher discriminatory power than multi-locus sequence typing for molecular epidemiological analysis of C. difficile isolates and can provide additional information about toxin genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Ota
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
| | - Natsune Hongou
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
| | - Yoko Nukui
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Medical Hospital, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan.
| | - Ryuji Koike
- Clinical Research Center, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Medical Hospital, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan.
| | - Shuji Tohda
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan.
| | - Ryoichi Saito
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
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44
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Ahn SW, Lee SH, Kim UJ, Jang HC, Choi HJ, Choy HE, Kang SJ, Roh SW. Genomic characterization of nine Clostridioides difficile strains isolated from Korean patients with Clostridioides difficile infection. Gut Pathog 2021; 13:55. [PMID: 34530913 PMCID: PMC8447795 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-021-00451-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is an infectious nosocomial disease caused by Clostridioides difficile, an opportunistic pathogen that occurs in the intestine after extensive antibiotic regimens. Results Nine C. difficile strains (CBA7201–CBA7209) were isolated from nine patients diagnosed with CDI at the national university hospital in Korea, and the whole genomes of these strains were sequenced to identify their genomic characteristics. Comparative genomic analysis was performed using 51 reference strains and the nine isolated herein. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences confirmed that all 60 C. difficile strains belong to the genus Clostridioides, while core-genome tree indicated that they were divided into five groups, which was consistent with the results of MLST clade analysis. All strains were confirmed to have a clindamycin antibiotic resistance gene, but the other antibiotic resistance genes differ depending on the MLST clade. Interestingly, the six strains belonging to the sequence type 17 among the nine C. difficile strains isolated here exhibited unique genomic characteristics for PaLoc and CdtLoc, the two toxin gene loci identified in this study, and harbored similar antibiotic resistance genes. Conclusion In this study, we identified the specific genomic characteristics of Korean C. difficile strains, which could serve as basic information for CDI prevention and treatment in Korea. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13099-021-00451-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Woo Ahn
- Microbiology and Functionality Research Group, World Institute of Kimchi, 86, Kimchi-ro, Nam-gu, 61755, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Hee Lee
- Microbiology and Functionality Research Group, World Institute of Kimchi, 86, Kimchi-ro, Nam-gu, 61755, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Uh Jin Kim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Chonnam National University Hospital, 61469, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Chang Jang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Chonnam National University Hospital, 61469, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hak-Jong Choi
- Microbiology and Functionality Research Group, World Institute of Kimchi, 86, Kimchi-ro, Nam-gu, 61755, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyon E Choy
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, 61469, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Ji Kang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Chonnam National University Hospital, 61469, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seong Woon Roh
- Microbiology and Functionality Research Group, World Institute of Kimchi, 86, Kimchi-ro, Nam-gu, 61755, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
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Riedel T, Neumann-Schaal M, Wittmann J, Schober I, Hofmann JD, Lu CW, Dannheim A, Zimmermann O, Lochner M, Groß U, Overmann J. Characterization of Clostridioides difficile DSM 101085 with A-B-CDT+ Phenotype from a Late Recurrent Colonization. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:566-577. [PMID: 32302381 PMCID: PMC7250501 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decades, hypervirulent strains of Clostridioides difficile with frequent disease recurrence and increased mortality appeared. Clostridioides difficile DSM 101085 was isolated from a patient who suffered from several recurrent infections and colonizations, likely contributing to a fatal outcome. Analysis of the toxin repertoire revealed the presence of a complete binary toxin locus and an atypical pathogenicity locus consisting of only a tcdA pseudogene and a disrupted tcdC gene sequence. The pathogenicity locus shows upstream a transposon and has been subject to homologous recombination or lateral gene transfer events. Matching the results of the genome analysis, neither TcdA nor TcdB production but the expression of cdtA and cdtB was detected. This highlights a potential role of the binary toxin C. difficile toxin in this recurrent colonization and possibly further in a host-dependent virulence. Compared with the C. difficile metabolic model strains DSM 28645 (630Δerm) and DSM 27147 (R20291), strain DSM 101085 showed a specific metabolic profile, featuring changes in the threonine degradation pathways and alterations in the central carbon metabolism. Moreover, products originating from Stickland pathways processing leucine, aromatic amino acids, and methionine were more abundant in strain DSM 101085, indicating a more efficient use of these substrates. The particular characteristics of strain C. difficile DSM 101085 may represent an adaptation to a low-protein diet in a patient with recurrent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Riedel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry and Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Johannes Wittmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Isabel Schober
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Julia Danielle Hofmann
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry and Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Chia-Wen Lu
- Institute of Infection Immunology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Hannover, Germany
| | - Antonia Dannheim
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry and Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ortrud Zimmermann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Lochner
- Institute of Infection Immunology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Hannover, Germany
| | - Uwe Groß
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen International Health Network, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany
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46
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Wongkuna S, Janvilisri T, Phanchana M, Harnvoravongchai P, Aroonnual A, Aimjongjun S, Malaisri N, Chankhamhaengdecha S. Temporal Variations in Patterns of Clostridioides difficile Strain Diversity and Antibiotic Resistance in Thailand. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10060714. [PMID: 34199301 PMCID: PMC8231780 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10060714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile has been recognized as a life-threatening pathogen that causes enteric diseases, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. The severity of C. difficile infection (CDI) correlates with toxin production and antibiotic resistance of C. difficile. In Thailand, the data addressing ribotypes, toxigenic, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of this pathogen are scarce and some of these data sets are limited. In this study, two groups of C. difficile isolates in Thailand, including 50 isolates collected from 2006 to 2009 (THA group) and 26 isolates collected from 2010 to 2012 (THB group), were compared for toxin genes and ribotyping profiles. The production of toxins A and B were determined on the basis of toxin gene profiles. In addition, minimum inhibitory concentration of eight antibiotics were examined for all 76 C. difficile isolates. The isolates of the THA group were categorized into 27 A−B+CDT− (54%) and 23 A-B-CDT- (46%), while the THB isolates were classified into five toxigenic profiles, including six A+B+CDT+ (23%), two A+B+CDT− (8%), five A−B+CDT+ (19%), seven A−B+CDT− (27%), and six A−B−CDT− (23%). By visually comparing them to the references, only five ribotypes were identified among THA isolates, while 15 ribotypes were identified within THB isolates. Ribotype 017 was the most common in both groups. Interestingly, 18 unknown ribotyping patterns were identified. Among eight tcdA-positive isolates, three isolates showed significantly greater levels of toxin A than the reference strain. The levels of toxin B in 3 of 47 tcdB-positive isolates were significantly higher than that of the reference strain. Based on the antimicrobial susceptibility test, metronidazole showed potent efficiency against most isolates in both groups. However, high MIC values of cefoxitin (MICs 256 μg/mL) and chloramphenicol (MICs ≥ 64 μg/mL) were observed with most of the isolates. The other five antibiotics exhibited diverse MIC values among two groups of isolates. This work provides evidence of temporal changes in both C. difficile strains and patterns of antimicrobial resistance in Thailand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supapit Wongkuna
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (S.W.); (T.J.)
| | - Tavan Janvilisri
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (S.W.); (T.J.)
| | - Matthew Phanchana
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Phurt Harnvoravongchai
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (P.H.); (N.M.)
| | - Amornrat Aroonnual
- Department of Tropical Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Sathid Aimjongjun
- Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
| | - Natamon Malaisri
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (P.H.); (N.M.)
| | - Surang Chankhamhaengdecha
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; (P.H.); (N.M.)
- Correspondence:
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47
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Ernst K, Landenberger M, Nieland J, Nørgaard K, Frick M, Fois G, Benz R, Barth H. Characterization and Pharmacological Inhibition of the Pore-Forming Clostridioides difficile CDTb Toxin. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13060390. [PMID: 34071730 PMCID: PMC8226936 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13060390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The clinically highly relevant Clostridioides (C.) difficile releases several AB-type toxins that cause diseases such as diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. In addition to the main virulence factors Rho/Ras-glycosylating toxins TcdA and TcdB, hypervirulent strains produce the binary AB-type toxin CDT. CDT consists of two separate proteins. The binding/translocation B-component CDTb facilitates uptake and translocation of the enzyme A-component CDTa to the cytosol of cells. Here, CDTa ADP-ribosylates G-actin, resulting in depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton. We previously showed that CDTb exhibits cytotoxicity in the absence of CDTa, which is most likely due to pore formation in the cytoplasmic membrane. Here, we further investigated this cytotoxic effect and showed that CDTb impairs CaCo-2 cell viability and leads to redistribution of F-actin without affecting tubulin structures. CDTb was detected at the cytoplasmic membrane in addition to its endosomal localization if CDTb was applied alone. Chloroquine and several of its derivatives, which were previously identified as toxin pore blockers, inhibited intoxication of Vero, HCT116, and CaCo-2 cells by CDTb and CDTb pores in vitro. These results further strengthen pore formation by CDTb in the cytoplasmic membrane as the underlying cytotoxic mechanism and identify pharmacological pore blockers as potent inhibitors of cytotoxicity induced by CDTb and CDTa plus CDTb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ernst
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.L.); (J.N.); (K.N.)
- Correspondence: (K.E.); (H.B.)
| | - Marc Landenberger
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.L.); (J.N.); (K.N.)
| | - Julian Nieland
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.L.); (J.N.); (K.N.)
| | - Katharina Nørgaard
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.L.); (J.N.); (K.N.)
| | - Manfred Frick
- Institute of General Physiology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.F.); (G.F.)
| | - Giorgio Fois
- Institute of General Physiology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.F.); (G.F.)
| | - Roland Benz
- Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs-University Bremen, 28759 Bremen, Germany;
| | - Holger Barth
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany; (M.L.); (J.N.); (K.N.)
- Correspondence: (K.E.); (H.B.)
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48
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McKee HK, Kajiwara C, Yamaguchi T, Ishii Y, Shimizu N, Ohara A, Tateda K. Clostridioides difficile toxins enhanced the in vitro production of CXC chemokine ligand 2 and tumor necrosis factor-α via Toll-like receptors in macrophages. J Med Microbiol 2021; 70. [PMID: 33830910 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) causes toxin-mediated enteropathy, such as antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis. Rho-glucosylating toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB) have been clearly implicated in pathogenesis, whereas the virulence of binary toxin (CDT) is still debated.Hypothesis statement. We hypothesized that CDT is involved in the host immune response and plays a pivotal role in establishing virulence by modulating pro-inflammatory cytokine production; this is achieved through the integral Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling pathways.Aim. The aim of the present study was to determine whether and how CDT impacts macrophages compared to TcdA or TcdB by examining the induction of CXC chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL2) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), both of which are crucial in mediating local and systematic inflammatory responses.Methodology. RAW264.7 cells or transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 T cells were incubated with TcdA, TcdB, or CDT. In some experiments, a neutralizing antibody against TLR2 or TLR4, or myeloid differentiation 88 inhibitory peptide were added. The amount of CXCL2 and TNF-α secreted was then measured.Results. In RAW264.7 macrophages, CXCL2 and TNF-α were produced via the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) or Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway in a TcdA, TcdB, or CDT dose-dependent manner. Interleukin-8 secretion was induced in TLR4/MD2/CD14-transfected, but not in TLR2-transfected, HEK 293 T cells following TcdB or CDT exposure.Conclusion. Our results showed that C. difficile toxins, including CDT, enhanced macrophage-mediated CXCL2 and TNF-α production via TLR2 and TLR4, indicating that CDT affects host immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroe Konishi McKee
- Department of Pediatrics, Toho University Ohashi Medical Center, Tokyo 153-8515, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Toho University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan
| | - Chiaki Kajiwara
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Yamaguchi
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Ishii
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan
| | - Norikazu Shimizu
- Department of Pediatrics, Toho University Ohashi Medical Center, Tokyo 153-8515, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Toho University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan
| | - Akira Ohara
- Department of Pediatrics, Toho University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Tateda
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan
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49
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Pan Z, Zhang Y, Luo J, Li D, Zhou Y, He L, Yang Q, Dong M, Tao L. Functional analyses of epidemic Clostridioides difficile toxin B variants reveal their divergence in utilizing receptors and inducing pathology. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009197. [PMID: 33507919 PMCID: PMC7842947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile toxin B (TcdB) is a key virulence factor that causes C. difficile associated diseases (CDAD) including diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. TcdB can be divided into multiple subtypes/variants based on their sequence variations, of which four (TcdB1-4) are dominant types found in major epidemic isolates. Here, we find that these variants are highly diverse in their receptor preference: TcdB1 uses two known receptors CSPG4 and Frizzled (FZD) proteins, TcdB2 selectively uses CSPG4, TcdB3 prefers to use FZDs, whereas TcdB4 uses neither CSPG4 nor FZDs. By creating chimeric toxins and systematically switching residues between TcdB1 and TcdB3, we determine that regions in the N-terminal cysteine protease domain (CPD) are involved in CSPG4-recognition. We further evaluate the pathological effects induced by TcdB1-4 with a mouse intrarectal installation model. TcdB1 leads to the most severe overall symptoms, followed by TcdB2 and TcdB3. When comparing the TcdB2 and TcdB3, TcdB2 causes stronger oedema while TcdB3 induces severer inflammatory cell infiltration. These findings together demonstrate divergence in the receptor preference and further lead to colonic pathology for predominant TcdB subtypes. Clostridioides difficile is a major cause of nosocomial and community-associated gastrointestinal infections. The bacterium produces three exotoxins including TcdA, TcdB, and CDT, of which TcdB is known as a key virulence factor causing the diseases. Since C. difficile was first linked to antibiotic-associated infections in 1978, a large number of clinically relevant strains were characterized and many of them were found to harbor some variant forms of TcdB. In this study, we examined four predominant TcdB variants from epidemic C. difficile strains. We found that these variants are highly diverse in preference to the known receptors, CSPG4 and Frizzled proteins. By conducting a systematically designed mutagenesis study, we determined that TcdB interacts with CSPG4 via regions across multiple domains. We also found that TcdB variants could induce distinguishable pathological phenotypes in a mouse model, suggesting C. difficile strains harboring divergent TcdB variants might exhibit different disease progression. Our study provides new insights into the toxicology and pathology of C. difficile toxin variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenrui Pan
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Luo
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Danyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liuqing He
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
| | - Min Dong
- Department of Urology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massechusetts, United States of America
- Department of Surgery and Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massechusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MD); (LT)
| | - Liang Tao
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (MD); (LT)
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50
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Clostridioides difficile exploits toxin-mediated inflammation to alter the host nutritional landscape and exclude competitors from the gut microbiota. Nat Commun 2021; 12:462. [PMID: 33469019 PMCID: PMC7815924 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20746-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a bacterial pathogen that causes a range of clinical disease from mild to moderate diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis, and toxic megacolon. Typically, C. difficile infections (CDIs) occur after antibiotic treatment, which alters the gut microbiota, decreasing colonization resistance against C. difficile. Disease is mediated by two large toxins and the expression of their genes is induced upon nutrient depletion via the alternative sigma factor TcdR. Here, we use tcdR mutants in two strains of C. difficile and omics to investigate how toxin-induced inflammation alters C. difficile metabolism, tissue gene expression and the gut microbiota, and to determine how inflammation by the host may be beneficial to C. difficile. We show that C. difficile metabolism is significantly different in the face of inflammation, with changes in many carbohydrate and amino acid uptake and utilization pathways. Host gene expression signatures suggest that degradation of collagen and other components of the extracellular matrix by matrix metalloproteinases is a major source of peptides and amino acids that supports C. difficile growth in vivo. Lastly, the inflammation induced by C. difficile toxin activity alters the gut microbiota, excluding members from the genus Bacteroides that are able to utilize the same essential nutrients released from collagen degradation. The effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiota can lead to enhanced colonization of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) and toxin-mediated pathogenesis. Here, using defined toxin-mutant strains and a murine model, the authors provide insights into how toxin-induced inflammation alters C. difficile metabolism, host tissue gene expression and gut microbiota, together influencing a beneficial niche for infection.
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