A host-directed virulence factor of Clostridium perfringens is modulated by gut commensal strains
10 affiliations
- 1Environmental Biotechnology Group, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 2Cluster of Excellence EXC 2124: Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection (CMFI), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 3Bacterial Metabolomics, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 4Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 5Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 6M3-Research Center for Malignome, Metabolome and Microbiome, University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
- 7Proteome Center Tübingen, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 8Interfaculty Institute for Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- 9Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, USA
- 10Microbial Metabolic Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
Abstract
In a healthy host, the residential microbes help regulate the growth of pathobionts, which are common members of the human gut microbiome, preventing them from causing diseases, including infections, under certain conditions. In cases of dysbiosis, this protection may be compromised. Targeted microbiome modulation offers a promising approach to restore healthy conditions in a disrupted community and consequently prevent infections using the natural colonization resistance of the microbiome. Elucidating the interaction mechanisms between microbial species within a microbiome is crucial for understanding how a microbiome can be modulated precisely and effectively to benefit the host's well-being. Here, we investigated the interactions between the pathobiont C. perfringens and human gut commensals by combining relative abundance measurements in co-culture versus monoculture with proteome and metabolome profiling of all mono- and co-cultures. We found that commensal strains affect C. perfringens growth by competing for substrates such as amino acids or a carbon source other than glucose. We further observed that Bacteroidaceae strains altered the levels of C. perfringens proteins, among others, the host-directed θ-toxin. Our findings reinforce the notion that modulating the composition of the gut microbiome is an effective strategy to prevent infections.
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BibTeX
@article{schumacher2026hostdirected,
title = {{A host-directed virulence factor of Clostridium perfringens is modulated by gut commensal strains}},
author = {Julia Schumacher and Paolo Stincone and Johanna Rapp and Timo N. Lucas and Carlos Llaca-Bautista and Francesca Barletta and Mirita Franz and Boris Maček and Daniel H. Huson and Lisa Maier and Hannes Link and Daniel Petras and Bastian Molitor},
journal = {Gut Microbes},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/19490976.2026.2748768},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2026.2748768},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A host-directed virulence factor of Clostridium perfringens is modulated by gut commensal strains
AU - Julia Schumacher
AU - Paolo Stincone
AU - Johanna Rapp
AU - Timo N. Lucas
AU - Carlos Llaca-Bautista
AU - Francesca Barletta
AU - Mirita Franz
AU - Boris Maček
AU - Daniel H. Huson
AU - Lisa Maier
AU - Hannes Link
AU - Daniel Petras
AU - Bastian Molitor
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Gut Microbes
DO - 10.1080/19490976.2026.2748768
UR - https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2026.2748768
AB - In a healthy host, the residential microbes help regulate the growth of pathobionts, which are common members of the human gut microbiome, preventing them from causing diseases, including infections, under certain conditions. In cases of dysbiosis, this protection may be compromised. Targeted microbiome modulation offers a promising approach to restore healthy conditions in a disrupted community and consequently prevent infections using the natural colonization resistance of the microbiome. Elucidating the interaction mechanisms between microbial species within a microbiome is crucial for understanding how a microbiome can be modulated precisely and effectively to benefit the host's well-being. Here, we investigated the interactions between the pathobiont C. perfringens and human gut commensals by combining relative abundance measurements in co-culture versus monoculture with proteome and metabolome profiling of all mono- and co-cultures. We found that commensal strains affect C. perfringens growth by competing for substrates such as amino acids or a carbon source other than glucose. We further observed that Bacteroidaceae strains altered the levels of C. perfringens proteins, among others, the host-directed θ-toxin. Our findings reinforce the notion that modulating the composition of the gut microbiome is an effective strategy to prevent infections.
SN - 1949-0976
SN - 1949-0984
ER -