Figure 4. C. difficile spores are sensitive to other metals.

C. difficile UK1 spores were prepared from 70:30 medium and purified as described in the materials and methods. Purified spores were incubated with 10 mM TA and the indicated concentration of metals or co-germinant. Germination was assayed by OD for 1 hr at 37 °C in the presence 10 mM TA alone (black circles) or with 10 mM TA and (A) 10 mM or (B) 250 μM metals or co-germinants. CaCl₂ (blue), MnCl₂ (green), MgCl₂ (orange), KCl (open), LiCl₂ (purple), glycine (red), TbCl₃ (black squares). Respective SleC activation is shown in (C) and (D).