''Clostridioides'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

Gram-positive bacteria In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. The Gram stain ...

, which includes ''

Clostridioides difficile ''Clostridioides difficile'' ( syn. ''Clostridium difficile'') is a bacterium known for causing serious diarrheal infections, and may also cause colon cancer. It is known also as ''C. difficile'', or ''C. diff'' (), and is a Gram-positive spec ...

'', a human

pathogen In biology, a pathogen (, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of"), in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a Germ theory of d ...

causing an infectious diarrhea.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Clostridioides'' was created to describe a few species formerly in the genus ''

Clostridium ''Clostridium'' is a genus of anaerobic, Gram-positive bacteria. Species of ''Clostridium'' inhabit soils and the intestinal tracts of animals, including humans. This genus includes several significant human pathogens, including the causative ...

'' which have been shown to be their own genetically distinct genus using 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. However, both names are still in use and valid under the

International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes The International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) or Prokaryotic Code, formerly the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB) or Bacteriological Code (BC), governs the scientific names for Bacteria and Archaea.P. H. A. Sneath ...

. Since '' C. mangenotii'' was further separated into a distinct genus in 2024, ''Clostridioides'' is a monotypic genus.

Description

They are

obligate anaerobe Obligate anaerobes are microorganisms killed by normal Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric concentrations of oxygen (20.95% O2). Oxygen tolerance varies between species, with some species capable of surviving in up to 8% oxygen, while others lose vi ...

s capable of producing

endospore An endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by some bacteria in the phylum Bacillota. The name "endospore" is suggestive of a spore or seed-like form (''endo'' means 'within'), but it is not a true spore (i.e., not ...

s. The normal, reproducing cells of ''Clostridioides'', called the vegetative form, are

rod-shaped Bacterial cellular morphologies are the shapes that are characteristic of various types of bacteria and often key to their identification. Their direct examination under a light microscope enables the classification of these bacteria (and archae ...

, which gives them their name, from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

κλωστήρ or spindle. ''Clostridioides'' endospores, like ''Clostridium'' endospores, have a distinct bowling pin or bottle shape, distinguishing them from other bacterial endospores, which are usually ovoid in shape.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q27438828 Peptostreptococcaceae Gram-positive bacteria Gut flora bacteria Pathogenic bacteria Monotypic bacteria genera Bacteria genera Taxa described in 2016

Taxonomy

Description

See also

References