Centre for Infectious Diseases seminar

Updated view on Clostridium difficile pathogenesis

Seminar Abstract

The main clinical symptoms, secretory diarrhoea and inflammation of colonic mucosa, can be in great part explained by the actions of two large protein toxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB). The role of the third toxin produced by C. difficile, binary toxin CDT in the development of human disease is not well understood.

Comparative genomic analysis will most likely reveal additional factors involved in pathogenesis and in increased virulence (including cell surface layer proteins, sporulation characteristics and antibiotic resistance) while molecular epidemiological studies will probably reveal (re)emerging reservoirs for community and health care-associated CDI.

• Date: Wednesday 3rd November 2010
• Time: 1pm

• Speaker: Prof Maja Rupnik (Centre for Microbiology, Institute for Public Health Maribor & Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Slovenia)

Speaker Biography

Prof. Rupnik is Head of Research Department within Centre for Microbiology at Institute for Public Health Maribor and Head of the Chair for Microbiology at University of Maribor, Faculty of Medicine. She is also a member of national Center of Excellence for integrated approaches in chemistry and biology of proteins.

Prof. Rupnik is active member of ECCMID Study group for Clostridium difficile, was ASM Ambassador for Central and Eastern Europe and is actively involved in organization of clostridial meetings (ClostPath - International Meeting on the Molecular biology and Pathogenesis of the Clostridia; ICDS - International Clostridium difficile Symposium). Her research interest is molecular biology of C. difficile toxins, molecular typing methods, complex microbial populations and host-pathogen interactions.

This seminar is being supported by the Scottish Infection Research Network:

For more information, please contact Frances Fowler, Project Co-ordinator, Centre for Infectious Diseases & CMVM Public Engagement Co-ordinator: