Clostridium difficile 630

Clostridium_difficile
Names Clostridium difficile 630
Accession numbers NC_008226, NC_009089
Background Clostridium difficile, a Gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic bacterium, is the leading cause of infectious diarrhea among patients in hospitals worldwide, causing C. difficile infection (CDI). An important nosocomial pathogen, it is frequently associated with antibiotic treatment and causes diseases ranging from antibiotic-associated diarrhea to life-threatening pseudomembraneous colitis. Although two important virulence factors of C. difficile have been shown to be exotoxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), little is known about other factors involved in the adherence and colonization processes. In the past 5 years a new group of highly virulent C. difficile strains has emerged to cause outbreaks of increased disease severity in North America and Europe. Several studies have shown that patients infected with these PCR-ribotype 027 strains have more severe diarrhea, higher mortality and more recurrences. Strain 603 (epidemic type X, PCR-ribotype 012) is a virulent and multidrug-resistant strain, and was isolated from a hospital patient with severe pseudomembraneous colitis, which had spread to several other patients on the same ward. It has several copies of a chimaeric genetic element comprising a group I intron and insertion element (an IStron). Where an IStron is inserted in an expressed gene it is probably precisely excised so that the gene remains functional. (HAMAP: CLOD6)
Taxonomy
Kingdom:Bacteria
Phylum:Firmicutes
Class:Clostridia
Order:Clostridiales
Family:Clostridiaceae
Genus:Clostridium
Species:difficile
Strain 630
Complete Yes
Sequencing centre (19-DEC-2005) Sebaihia M., Sulston Laboratories, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton,
(21-JAN-2004) National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
Sequencing quality Level 6: Finished
Sequencing depth NA
Sequencing method NA
Isolation site clincal isolate Switzerland
Isolation country Switzerland
Number of replicons 2
Gram staining properties Positive
Shape Bacilli
Mobility Yes
Flagellar presence NA
Number of membranes 1
Oxygen requirements Anaerobic
Optimal temperature 37.0
Temperature range Mesophilic
Habitat Multiple
Biotic relationship Free living
Host name Homo sapiens
Cell arrangement Chains, Pairs, Singles
Sporulation Sporulating
Metabolism NA
Energy source Chemoorganotroph
Diseases Antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembraneous colitis
Pathogenicity Yes