This page redirects to clostridioides difficile.
Clostridium difficile was reclassified as Clostridioides difficile in 2016 based on phenotypic and phylogenomic analyses that demonstrated it belonged to a distinct clade within the former Clostridium genus. The reclassification by Lawson et al. (2016) placed this organism in the family Peptostreptococcaceae rather than Clostridiaceae, reflecting its true evolutionary relationships.
The name "C. diff" and "Clostridium difficile" remain widely used in clinical practice and older literature. All WikiBiome content on this organism, including its metal dependencies (nickel, zinc, iron), zinc-dependent TcdA/TcdB toxins, and post-antibiotic niche exploitation ecology, is maintained on the clostridioides difficile page.
Why the Name Changed
- The genus Clostridium as historically defined was polyphyletic — it contained species from multiple evolutionary lineages grouped together based on shared phenotypic traits (spore-forming, anaerobic, Gram-positive rods).
- Phylogenomic reclassification split the former Clostridium into multiple genera, with only species closely related to Clostridium butyricum (the type species) retaining the Clostridium name.
- C. difficile was sufficiently divergent to warrant its own genus, Clostridioides, reflecting its distinct cell-wall composition and 16S rRNA phylogeny.
Cross-References
- clostridioides difficile — current taxonomic name and primary content page