Cited by 242Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens researchGut microbiota and healthBacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing

Inhibition of spore germination, growth, and toxin activity of clinically relevant C. difficile strains by gut microbiota derived secondary bile acids

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Thanissery, Rajani, Winston, Jenessa A., Theriot, Casey M.·2017·Anaerobe

Abstract

The changing epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection over the past decades presents a significant challenge in the management of C. difficile associated diseases. The gastrointestinal tract microbiota provides colonization resistance against C. difficile, and growing evidence suggests that gut microbial derived secondary bile acids (SBAs) play a role. We hypothesized that the C. difficile life cycle; spore germination and outgrowth, growth, and toxin production, of strains that vary by age and ribotype will differ in their sensitivity to SBAs. C. difficile strains R20291 and CD196 (ribotype 027), M68 and CF5 (017), 630 (012), BI9 (001) and M120 (078) were used to define taurocholate (TCA) mediated spore germination and outgrowth, growth, and toxin activity in the absence and presence of gut microbial derived SBAs (deoxycholate, isodeoxycholate, lithocholate, isolithocholate, ursodeoxycholate, ω-muricholate, and hyodeoxycholate) found in the human and mouse large intestine. C. difficile strains varied in their rates of germination, growth kinetics, and toxin activity without the addition of SBAs. C. difficile M120, a highly divergent strain, had robust germination, growth, but significantly lower toxin activity compared to other strains. Many SBAs were able to inhibit TCA mediated spore germination and outgrowth, growth, and toxin activity in a dose dependent manner, but the level of inhibition and resistance varied across all strains and ribotypes. This study illustrates how clinically relevant C. difficile strains can have different responses when exposed to SBAs present in the gastrointestinal tract.

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  • C. difficile is exquisitely sensitive to different BAs.

    “Since C. difficile is exquisitely sensitive to different BAs27,28, we employed sets of glycine and taurine-preferring BSHs to inhibit C. difficile (Figs. 3d, 4a and 5a).”
  • A healthy gut microbiota promotes colonization resistance against C. difficile through metabolism of bile acids to both reduce primary bile acids, which promote C. difficile spore germination, and increase secondary bile acids, which inhibit C. difficile vegetative growth.

    “Therefore, a healthy gut microbiota promotes colonization resistance against C. difficile through metabolism of bile acids to both reduce primary bile acids, which promote C. difficile spore germination, and increase secondary bile acids, which inhibit C. difficile vegetative growth.”

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Authors
Thanissery, R., Winston, J. A., & Theriot, C. M.
Affiliations
North Carolina State University (US)
Corresponding author
Theriot, Casey M.
Venue
Anaerobe
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-06
Volume
45
Pages
86-100
ISSN
1075-9964 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2593518051
Cited by
242
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 3
FWCI
14.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Anaerobe (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service (T32OD011130)
  • National Institutes of Health (R35GM119438 (CMT))
  • career development award in metabolomic (K01GM109236 (CMT))
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Clinical Biochemistry › Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
Keywords
Clostridium difficile, secondary bile acids, spore germination, toxin production, gut microbiota, colonization resistance, taurocholate, deoxycholate, ribotypes, strain differences, Clostridium difficile infection, growth kinetics
MeSH terms
Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Animals, Antibiosis, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Bacterial Toxins, Bile Acids and Salts, Humans, Spores, Bacterial, Clostridioides difficile, Gastrointestinal Tract, Mice

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