Transcriptomic RNA-sequencing analysis of the hypervirulent Clostridioides difficile R20291 strain in response to trehalose

Clostridioides difficile, the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea worldwide, is a genetically diverse species which can metabolise a number of nutrient sources upon colonising a dysbiotic gut environment. Trehalose, a disaccharide sugar consisting of two glucose molecules bonded by an a 1,1-glycosidic bond, has been hypothesised to be involved in the emergence of C. difficile hypervirulence due to its increased utilisation by the RT027 and RT078 strains. Using RNA-sequencing analysis, we report the identification of a putative trehalose metabolism pathway which is induced during growth in trehalose: this has not been previously described within the C. difficile species. These data demonstrate the metabolic diversity exhibited by C. difficile which warrants further investigation to elucidate the molecular basis of trehalose metabolism within this important gut pathogen. Overall design: Comparing the transcriptomic response of C. difficile during growth in trehalose (n=3) as compared to glucose grown conditions (n=3)