TABLE 4.
Molecular characteristics of 35 Clostridium difficile isolates (32 environmental and 3 human isolates)
| Household | Source | Presence of binary toxin (cdtB) | Toxinotype | tcdC deletion(s) (bp) | tcdC allele fragment(s) (full gene allele)a | PFGE type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peri-FMT 1 | Vacuum | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP10 |
| Household member | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP10 | |
| Peri-FMT 2 | Toilet | Negative | 0 | 0 | 2 (3) | NAP2 |
| Vacuum | Negative | 0 | 0 | 2 (3) | NAP2 | |
| Peri-FMT 3 | Toilet | Positive | V | 39 | 5 (20)b | NAP7 |
| Bathroom sink | Positive | V | 39 | 5 (20)b | NAP7 | |
| Vacuum | Positive | V | 39 | 5 (20)b | NAP7 | |
| Peri-FMT 4 | Remote | Positive | III | 1 and 18 | 1 (1 or 55)c | NAP1 |
| Vacuum | Positive | III | 1 and 18 | 1 (1 or 55)c | NAP1 | |
| Peri-FMT 5 | Microwave | Positive | V | 39 | 5 (20)b | NAP7 |
| Refrigerator | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 | |
| Toilet 1 | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 | |
| Bathroom sink 1 | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 | |
| Computer | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 | |
| Toilet 2 | Positive | V | 39 | 5 (20)b | NAP7 | |
| Bathroom sink 2 | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 | |
| Vacuum | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 | |
| Peri-FMT 6 | Toilet | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 |
| Bathroom sink | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 | |
| Case patient | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 | |
| Peri-FMT 7 | Toilet | Negative | XVIII/XXIXd | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP4 |
| Case patient | Negative | XVIII/XXIXd | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP4 | |
| Peri-FMT 8 | Toilet | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 |
| Vacuum | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP6 | |
| Post-FMT 2 | Bathroom sink | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP11 |
| Bathroom door | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP11 | |
| Telephone | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP11 | |
| Vacuum | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP11 | |
| Post-FMT 4 | Computer | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP11 |
| Vacuum 1 | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP11 | |
| Vacuum 2 | NAe | NAe | NAe | NAe | NAe | |
| Post-FMT 6 | Toilet | Negative | 0 | 0 | 4 | Undf |
| Control 3 | Diaper changing area | Negative | NAg | NAg | NAg | Undf |
| Control 6 | Vacuum | NAe | NAe | NAe | NAe | NAe |
| Control 9 | Vacuum | Negative | 0 | 0 | 3 (19), 22 | NAP4 |
tcdC allele designations are based on the taxonomy shown in the PubMLST database (http://pubmlst.org/cdifficile/) for the gene fragment and the complete gene (in parentheses). Fragment 22 has no corresponding complete gene sequence in the database. Fragment 1 corresponds to complete gene alleles 1 and 55, for which the differentiating polymorphisms are outside the region of the fragment.
tcdC nonsense mutation C184T results in a premature stop codon, resulting in a truncation of the TcdC protein from 232 amino acids (wild type) to a predicted 61-amino-acid product (19).
Single nucleotide deletion at base 117 of tcdC results in a frameshift and premature stop codon, resulting in a predicted 65-amino-acid product (19).
Unable to distinguish between toxinotypes XVIII and XXIX due to the identical appearance of the A3 fragment between the two toxinotypes.
Unavailable for molecular characterization (archived stocks did not regrow).
Und, undefined (i.e., the household C. difficile isolate's profile was <80% similar to a defined Centers for Disease Control and Prevention NAP standard). These two profiles were also <80% similar to one another.
Nontoxigenic strain; PCR negative for tcdC and the toxinotyping PCR targets (which include tcdA and tcdB) but positive for a 769-bp product by pathogenicity locus PCR, as seen in nontoxigenic strains (as opposed to the ∼19-kb product predicted for toxigenic strains).