Clostridioides difficile is one of the most common nosocomial pathogens and a global public health threat. Upon colonization of the gastrointestinal tract, C. difficile is exposed to a rapidly changing polymicrobial environment. The impact of cooperative interactions between the microbiota and C. difficile on the outcome of infection is largely unknown. Here, we show that microbial cooperation between C. difficile and commensal and pathogenic strains of Enterococcus has a profound impact on the growth, metabolism, and pathogenesis of C. difficile. Through a process of nutrient restriction and metabolite cross-feeding, enterococci shape the metabolic environment in the gut to enhance C. difficile fitness and increase toxin production. These findings demonstrate that members of the microbiota, such as Enterococcus, have a previously unappreciated impact on C. difficile behavior and virulence.
project
|- README # Description of content
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|- LICENSE # The license for this project
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|- data/ # Raw data growth simulation data
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|- code/ # All programmatic code for model analyses, statistical testing, and figure generation
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|- results/ # Final analysis output figures