Search

Abstract Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacterium known to be the most common cause of hospital-acquired and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. C. difficile infection rates are on the rise worldwide and treatment options are limited, indicating a clear need for novel therapeutics. Gnotobiotic piglets are an excellent model to reproduce the acute pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) caused by C. difficile due to their physiological similarities to humans and high susceptibility to infection. Here, we established a gnotobiotic pig model of C. difficile infection and disease using a hypervirulent strain. C. difficile-infected pigs displayed classic signs of C. difficile infection, including severe diarrhea and weight loss. Inoculated pigs had severe gross and microscopic intestinal lesions. C. difficile infection caused an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines in samples of serum, large intestinal contents, and pleural effusion. C. difficile spores and toxins were detected in the feces of inoculated animals as tested by anaerobic culture and cytotoxicity assays. Successful establishment of this model is key for future work as therapeutics can be evaluated in an environment that accurately mimics what happens in humans. The model is especially suitable for evaluating potential prophylactics and therapeutics, including vaccines and passive immune strategies.

Background information. CDC25 (cell division cycle 25) phosphatases function as activators of CDK (cyclin-dependent kinase)–cyclin complexes to regulate progression through the CDC. We have recently identified a pool of CDC25B at the centrosome of interphase cells that plays a role in regulating centrosome numbers. Results. In the present study, we demonstrate that CDC25B forms a close association with Ctn (centrin) proteins at the centrosome. This interaction involves both N- and C-terminal regions of CDC25B and requires CDC25B binding to its CDK–cyclin substrates. However, the interaction is not dependent on the enzyme activity of CDC25B. Although CDC25B appears to bind indirectly to Ctn2, this association is pertinent to CDC25B localization at the centrosome. We further demonstrate that CDC25B plays a role in maintaining the overall integrity of the centrosome, by regulating the centrosome levels of multiple centrosome proteins, including that of Ctn2. Conclusions. Our results therefore suggest that CDC25B associates with a Ctn2-containing multiprotein complex in the cytoplasm, which targets it to the centrosome, where it plays a role in maintaining the centrosome levels of Ctn2 and a number of other centrosome components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]