ArticlePLoS genetics2013
Global analysis of the sporulation pathway of Clostridium difficile.
Article in PLoS genetics, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 150 papers.
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Who cites it
150 citing papers in PubMed, 237 citations in OpenAlex.
- Disruption ofJournal of medical microbiology · 2026Article
- MclX modulates the process of mother cell lysis by SpoIIID inApplied and environmental microbiology · 2026Article
- A single DNA methylation site regulates cell fate during Clostridioides difficile sporulation.PLoS pathogens · 2026Article
- Development and Evaluation of Exosporium-Anchored Bioluminescent and Fluorescent Reporters for TrackingACS synthetic biology · 2026Article
- Advances in understanding the Clostridial spore inner membrane.Archives of microbiology · 2026Review
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- Deciphering strain differences in codY regulation ofMicrobiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Penicillin-binding proteins exhibit functional redundancy during asymmetric cell division inJournal of bacteriology · 2025Article
- Characterization of a hypersporulating strain derivativebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Article
- The emerging view on the roles of butyrate inInfection and immunity · 2025Review
- Molecular dissection of Class A PBP function uncovers novel features of the non-canonical Clostridioides difficile divisome complex.PLoS genetics · 2025Article
- Article
- Disulphide bond-forming enzymes in clostridial species.Microbiology (Reading, England) · 2025Article
- Conservation of sporulation genes and a transmembrane-containing Spo0B variant inbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Proline Stickland fermentation supportsApplied and environmental microbiology · 2025Article
- An endoribonuclease of the YicC-like family delays sporulation via sRNA degradation in Clostridioides difficile.Nucleic acids research · 2025Article
- A metabolite dehydrogenase pathway represses sporulation of Clostridioides difficile.Anaerobe · 2025Article
- Molecular dissection of Class A PBP function uncovers novel features of the non-canonicalbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- The l,d-transpeptidation pathway is inhibited by antibiotics of the β-lactam class iniScience · 2025Article
90 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The Gram-positive, spore-forming pathogen Clostridium difficile is the leading definable cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea worldwide. C. difficile infections are difficult to treat because of their frequent recurrence, which can cause life-threatening complications such as pseudomembranous colitis. The spores of C. difficile are responsible for these high rates of recurrence, since they are the major transmissive form of the organism and resistant to antibiotics and many disinfectants. Despite the importance of spores to the pathogenesis of C. difficile, little is known about their composition or formation. Based on studies in Bacillus subtilis and other Clostridium spp., the sigma factors σ(F), σ(E), σ(G), and σ(K) are predicted to control the transcription of genes required for sporulation, although their specific functions vary depending on the organism. In order to determine the roles of σ(F), σ(E), σ(G), and σ(K) in regulating C. difficile sporulation, we generated loss-of-function mutations in genes encoding these sporulation sigma factors and performed RNA-Sequencing to identify specific sigma factor-dependent genes. This analysis identified 224 genes whose expression was collectively activated by sporulation sigma factors: 183 were σ(F)-dependent, 169 were σ(E)-dependent, 34 were σ(G)-dependent, and 31 were σ(K)-dependent. In contrast with B. subtilis, C. difficile σ(E) was dispensable for σ(G) activation, σ(G) was dispensable for σ(K) activation, and σ(F) was required for post-translationally activating σ(G). Collectively, these results provide the first genome-wide transcriptional analysis of genes induced by specific sporulation sigma factors in the Clostridia and highlight that diverse mechanisms regulate sporulation sigma factor activity in the Firmicutes.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.