Inhibition of Clostridium perfringens sporulation by Bacteroides fragilis and short-chain fatty acids

Dorothy M Wrigley

doi:10.1016/j.anaerobe.2004.05.006

Inhibition of Clostridium perfringens sporulation by Bacteroides fragilis and short-chain fatty acids

Anaerobe. 2004 Oct;10(5):295-300. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2004.05.006.

Author

Dorothy M Wrigley¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, Minnesota State University, 242 South Trafton Science Center, Mankato, MN 56001, USA. dorothy.wrigley@mnsu.edu

PMID: 16701530
DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2004.05.006

Abstract

The effect a common fecal organism, Bacteroides fragilis, has on the sporulation of Clostridium perfringens, an organism linked to some cases of antibiotic associated diarrhea, was examined. Established B. fragilis cultures significantly decreased the number of heat resistant spores formed by C. perfringens ATCC 12915 and increased the number of vegetative cells. To determine if short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), fermentation products of B. fragilis, inhibited sporulation, the SCFA were added to sporulation broth. Sporulation decreased in the presence of acetate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, and succinate. Vegetative cell number for C. perfringens decreased in the cultures with isobutyrate. Propionate did not affect sporulation or vegetative cell number. The data support the hypothesis that the decrease in short-chain fatty acid concentration following antibiotic therapy predisposes patients to diarrheas caused by C. perfringens.