title: The role of toxin A and toxin B in the virulence of Clostridium difficile.
abstract: During the past decade, there has been a striking increase in Clostridium difficile nosocomial infections worldwide predominantly due to the emergence of epidemic or hypervirulent isolates, leading to an increased research focus on this bacterium. Particular interest has surrounded the two large clostridial toxins encoded by most virulent isolates, known as toxin A and toxin B. Toxin A was thought to be the major virulence factor for many years; however, it is becoming increasingly evident that toxin B plays a much more important role than anticipated. It is clear that further experiments are required to accurately determine the relative roles of each toxin in disease, especially in more clinically relevant current epidemic isolates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Glen P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Julian I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Rood
authors.forename: Dena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lyras
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D037521:Virulence Factors; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile