Effect of exposure to oxygen and oxidative stress on Clostridioides difficile gut colonization and virulence – Difox

Enteric pathogens must integrate multiple environmental signals including differences in O2 tension and oxidative stress to successfully establish themselves within complex and diverse gut micro niches. Clostridium difficile (CD) appears to be a good model to decipher the impact of these environmental pressures on the colonization and infection processes of strict anaerobic bacteria. The main objectives of the Difox project are i) the identification of factors contributing to detoxification following oxidative stress and their role in conditions mimicking the steps of the infectious cycle of CD, ii) the in vivo study of the influence of intestinal microenvironments in colonization, localization of CD and host response by mainly neutrophilic studies iii) the role of adaptation to low O2 tension on physiology and virulence factor production and the identification of associated regulatory network(s).