ArticlePloS one2012
Clostridium difficile spore-macrophage interactions: spore survival.
Article in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed.
- Phylogenomic analysis of the collagen-like BclA proteins inApplied and environmental microbiology · 2026Article
- Characterization of a hypersporulating strain derivativebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- The interplay between host immunity andmBio · 2025Review
- Review
- Humoral and cellular immune responses in cattle uponFrontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- A multivalent mRNA-LNP vaccine protects againstScience (New York, N.Y.) · 2024Article
- Host Immunity and Immunization Strategies for Clostridioides difficile Infection.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2023Review
- Review
- Cytotoxic synergism ofWorld journal of gastroenterology · 2023Review
- Platelets promote human macrophages-mediated macropinocytosis ofFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2023Article
- Cationic Homopolymers Inhibit Spore and Vegetative Cell Growth ofACS infectious diseases · 2021Article
- Host Immune Responses toFrontiers in microbiology · 2021Review
- Soluble Non-Starch Polysaccharides From Plantain (Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021Article
- Invisible steps for a global endemy: molecular strategies adopted byTherapeutic advances in gastroenterology · 2021Review
- Article
- Characterization of Exosporium Layer Variability ofFrontiers in microbiology · 2020Article
- Virulence Factors ofThe Canadian journal of infectious diseases & medical microbiology = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses et de la microbiologie medicale · 2019Review
- Article
- Identification of Clostridium difficile Immunoreactive Spore Proteins of the Epidemic Strain R20291.Proteomics. Clinical applications · 2018Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundClostridium difficile is the main cause of nosocomial infections including antibiotic associated diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon. During the course of Clostridium difficile infections (CDI), C. difficile undergoes sporulation and releases spores to the colonic environment. The elevated relapse rates of CDI suggest that C. difficile spores has a mechanism(s) to efficiently persist in the host colonic environment. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsIn this work, we provide evidence that C. difficile spores are well suited to survive the host's innate immune system. Electron microscopy results show that C. difficile spores are recognized by discrete patchy regions on the surface of macrophage Raw 264.7 cells, and phagocytosis was actin polymerization dependent. Fluorescence microscopy results show that >80% of Raw 264.7 cells had at least one C. difficile spore adhered, and that ∼60% of C. difficile spores were phagocytosed by Raw 264.7 cells. Strikingly, presence of complement decreased Raw 264.7 cells' ability to phagocytose C. difficile spores. Due to the ability of C. difficile spores to remain dormant inside Raw 264.7 cells, they were able to survive up to 72 h of macrophage infection. Interestingly, transmission electron micrographs showed interactions between the surface proteins of C. difficile spores and the phagosome membrane of Raw 264.7 cells. In addition, infection of Raw 264.7 cells with C. difficile spores for 48 h produced significant Raw 264.7 cell death as demonstrated by trypan blue assay, and nuclei staining by ethidium homodimer-1. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results demonstrate that despite efficient recognition and phagocytosis of C. difficile spores by Raw 264.7 cells, spores remain dormant and are able to survive and produce cytotoxic effects on Raw 264.7 cells.
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