Plasmids of Clostridioides difficile

Current Opinion in Microbiology, vol. 65, pp. 87–94

Abstract

Plasmids are ubiquitous in the bacterial world. In many microorganisms, plasmids have been implicated in important aspects of bacterial physiology and contribute to horizontal gene transfer. In contrast, knowledge on plasmids of the enteropathogen Clostridioides difficile is limited, and there appears to be no phenotypic consequence to carriage of many of the identified plasmids. Emerging evidence suggests, however, that plasmids are common in C. difficile and may encode functions relevant to pathogenesis, such as antimicrobial resistance and toxin production. Here, we review our current knowledge about the abundance, functions and clinical relevance of plasmids in C. difficile.

Authors 3

1. Wiep Klaas Smits corresponding Aachen Experimental Bacteriology Group Department of Medical Microbiology

   Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Experimental Bacteriology Group, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: w.k.smits@lumc.nl

   Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Experimental Bacteriology Group, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden, The Netherlands

2. Anna M. Roseboom Aachen Experimental Bacteriology Group Department of Medical Microbiology

   Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Experimental Bacteriology Group, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

3. Jeroen Corver Aachen Experimental Bacteriology Group Department of Medical Microbiology

   Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Experimental Bacteriology Group, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden, The Netherlands

   Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Experimental Bacteriology Group, Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LU-CID), Leiden, The Netherlands