Intrinsic Class D β-Lactamases of Clostridium difficile

Abstract

C. difficile is a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium which causes infection of the large intestine with high mortality rates. The C. difficile infection is difficult to prevent and treat, as the pathogen is resistant to many antimicrobial agents. Prolonged use of β-lactam antibiotics for treatment of various infectious diseases triggers the infection, as these drugs suppress the abundance of protective gut bacteria, allowing the resistant C. difficile bacteria to multiply. While resistance of C. difficile to β-lactam antibiotics plays the major role in the development of the disease, the mechanism of resistance is unknown. The significance of our research is in the discovery in C. difficile of β-lactamases, enzymes that destroy β-lactam antibiotics. These findings ultimately can help to combat deadly C. difficile infections.