W. K. Smits

Proteolytic activity of surface exposed HtrA determines its expression level and is needed to survive acidic conditions in Clostridioides difficile

This study shows that HtrA proteolytic activity affects its expression level and is necessary for C. difficile survival under acidic conditions.

Fungal-bacterial gut microbiota interactions in patients with Clostridioides difficile colonisation and infection

This study examines fungal-bacterial gut microbiota interactions in patients with C. difficile colonisation and infection, finding differences in fungal abundance and indirect interactions with bacteria.

Clostridioides difficile PCR ribotype 151 is polyphyletic and includes pathogenic isolates from cryptic clade C-II with mono-toxin pathogenicity loci that can escape routine diagnostics

The paper identifies that PCR ribotype 151 of Clostridioides difficile is polyphyletic, includes both non-toxigenic and toxigenic isolates, and contains pathogenic variants that evade routine diagnostics.

Carriage of three plasmids in a single human clinical isolate of Clostridioides difficile

The paper describes a C. difficile clinical isolate carrying three compatible plasmids and identifies functional replicons in two of them.

Clostridioides difficile phosphoproteomics shows an expansion of phosphorylated proteins in stationary growth phase

Practical observations on the use of fluorescent reporter systems in C. difficile

This study evaluates fluorescent reporter systems in C. difficile for live-cell imaging, finding that SNAPCd is the most suitable due to its oxygen independence.

Heme is crucial for medium-dependent metronidazole resistance in clinical isolates of C. difficile

The paper shows heme dependence in metronidazole resistance in C. difficile clinical isolates, linked to a SNP in hsmA and associated with a resistant lineage.

Redefining the Clostridioides difficile σB regulon: σB activates genes involved in detoxifying radicals that can result from the exposure to antimicrobials and hydrogen peroxide

This study identifies genes directly regulated by σB in C. difficile and shows that antimicrobials and hydrogen peroxide induce these genes via σB-dependent mechanisms.

The C-terminal domain of Clostridioides difficile TcdC is exposed on the bacterial cell surface

This study shows the C-terminal domain of TcdC in C. difficile is extracellular, challenging its proposed role as an anti-sigma factor.

An in silico survey of Clostridioides difficile extrachromosomal elements

This study identifies extrachromosomal elements in C. difficile strains using in silico analysis, finding 13% of strains contain 1-6 elements, including 6 novel plasmid families.

Plasmid-mediated metronidazole resistance in Clostridioides difficile

This paper identifies a plasmid, pCD-METRO, as the first reported cause of plasmid-mediated metronidazole resistance in Clostridioides difficile, showing its global dissemination and horizontal transfer potential.

The bacterial chromatin protein HupA can remodel DNA and associates with the nucleoid in Clostridium difficile

This study characterizes HupA, a bacterial chromatin protein in C. difficile, showing it binds DNA, induces conformational changes, and compacts the chromosome.

Genome location dictates the transcriptional response to PolC-inhibition in Clostridium difficile

This study shows that genome location influences the transcriptional response to PolC-inhibition in C. difficile, with origin-proximal genes being more upregulated.

Proteomic identification of Axc, a novel beta-lactamase with carbapenemase activity in a meropenem-resistant clinical isolate of Achromobacterxylosoxidans

The paper identifies Axc, a novel beta-lactamase with carbapenemase activity, in a meropenem-resistant Achromobacter xylosoxidans isolate using proteomics and confirms its role in resistance.

A helicase-containing module defines a family of pCD630-like plasmids in Clostridium difficile

This study identifies a family of pCD630-like plasmids in Clostridium difficile defined by a conserved helicase and reports two sub-groups differing in size and accessory modules.