Regulation of Clostridioides difficile toxin production

Clostridioides difficile produces toxins TcdA and TcdB during infection. Since the severity of the illness is directly correlated with the level of toxins produced, researchers have long been interested in the regulation mechanisms of toxin production. The advent of new genetics and mutagenesis technologies in C. difficile has allowed a slew of new investigations in the last decade, which considerably improved our understanding of this crucial regulatory network. The current body of work shows that the toxin regulatory network overlaps with the regulatory networks of sporulation, motility, and key metabolic pathways. This implies that toxin production is a complicated process initiated by bacteria in response to numerous host factors during infection. We summarize the existing knowledge about the toxin gene regulatory network here.

Automated summary

Clostridioides difficile produces toxins TcdA and TcdB during infection, and the severity of the illness is directly correlated with the toxin production level. Recent advancements in genetics and mutagenesis technologies have greatly improved our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms involved in toxin production. The current research suggests that the toxin regulatory network overlaps with the regulatory networks of sporulation, motility, and key metabolic pathways, indicating that toxin production is a complex process initiated by bacteria in response to various host factors during infection. This review summarizes the existing knowledge about the toxin gene regulatory network.