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Clostridium perfringens (formerly known as C. welchii, or Bacillus welchii) is a Gram-positive, bacillus (rod-shaped), anaerobic, spore-forming pathogenic bacterium of the genus Clostridium. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] C. perfringens is ever-present in nature and can be found as a normal component of decaying vegetation, marine sediment , the intestinal tract ...
Clostridioides difficile infection [5] (CDI or C-diff), also known as Clostridium difficile infection, is a symptomatic infection due to the spore-forming bacterium Clostridioides difficile. [6] Symptoms include watery diarrhea, fever, nausea, and abdominal pain. [1] It makes up about 20% of cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. [1]
This toxin has been shown to be the key virulence factor in infection with C. perfringens; the bacterium is unable to cause disease without this toxin. [1] Further, vaccination against the alpha toxin toxoid protects mice against C. perfringens gas gangrene. [2]
Because C. perfringens beta toxin shares homology with S. aureus pore-forming alpha toxin, it was hypothesized that beta toxin acts in a similar way. Upon investigation, it was found that C. perfringens beta toxin forms cation-selective pores in cell membranes [4] of 1.6–1.8 nm [5] and results in swelling and lysis in HL60 cells. [6]
The major virulence factor of C. perfringens is the CPE enterotoxin, which is secreted upon invasion of the host gut, and contributes to food poisoning and other gastrointestinal illnesses. [3] It has a molecular weight of 35.3 kDa, and is responsible for the disintegration of tight junctions between epithelial cells in the gut. [6]
Clostridium perfringens causes a wide range of symptoms, from food poisoning to cellulitis, fasciitis, necrotic enteritis and gas gangrene. [16] [17] Clostridium tetani causes tetanus. Several more pathogenic species, that were previously described in Clostridium, have been found to belong to other genera. [6]
Clostridioides difficile (syn. Clostridium difficile) is a bacterium known for causing serious diarrheal infections, and may also cause colon cancer. [4] [5] It is known also as C. difficile, or C. diff (/ s iː d ɪ f /), and is a Gram-positive species of spore-forming bacteria. [6]
The Clostridiaceae are a family of the bacterial class Clostridia, and contain the genus Clostridium.. The family Clostridiaceae (scientific name) defined by the taxonomic outline of Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology contains as its core the genus Clostridium (sensu stricto), as well as Acetivibrio, Acidaminobacter, Alkaliphilus, Anaerobacter, Caloramator, Caloranaerobacter ...