Publications

Emerging Clostridioides difficile strains belonging to PCR ribotype 955 in Serbia are distinct from metronidazole-resistant RT955 outbreak isolates from the UK.
Stojanovic P, Kraakman M, Notermans DW, Groot J, Harmanus C, van Prehn J, Wilcox M, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK; Dutch National Expertise Centre for Clostridioides difficile infections group.
Emerg Microbes Infect. 2025 Dec;14(1):2544733.
doi: 10.1080/22221751.2025.2544733.

Genomic islands and molecular mechanisms relating to drug-resistance in Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile PCR ribotype 176.
Krutova M, Kovarovic V, Brajerova M, Demay F, Zikova J, Prasad S, Soltesova A, Novakova E, Pituch H, Kuijper E, Smits WK, Novotna GB.
Emerg Microbes Infect. 2025 Dec;14(1):2482698.
doi: 10.1080/22221751.2025.2482698. 

Mass spectrometric analysis of lipid-linked oligosaccharide heterogeneity in genetically modified E. coli used for glycoconjugate bacterial vaccine production.
Palubeckaite I, Moran AB, Cramer DAT, Torrente-López A, Smits WK, Weerdenburg E, Al Kaabi A, Beurret M, Anish C, Wuhrer M, Nicolardi S.
Carbohydr Polym. 2025 Oct 15;366:123928.
doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2025.123928.

Draft and complete genome sequences of 17 Streptococcus species.
Nooij S, Sanders IMJG, Schout L, Vossen RHAM, Kloet SL, Smits WK, Ducarmon QR.
Microbiol Resour Announc. 2025 Sep 11;14(9):e0019025.
doi: 10.1128/mra.00190-25.

Increase of Clostridioides difficile PCR ribotype 002 infection with decreased disease severity in hospitalized patients in the Netherlands.
Baktash A, Harmanus C, Goeman J, Brennan W, Cormican M, Corver J, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK.
Microbiol Spectr. 2025 Aug 19:e0144625.
doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01446-25

Dominance of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile strains and the appearance of the emerging PCR ribotype 955 in hospitals in Silesia, Poland.
Szarek K, Frankowska N, Kabała M, Smits WK, Wultańska D, Lalowski P, Pituch H, Iwanicki A, Hinc K, Harmanus C, Sanders IMJG, Wojtyczka R, Wąsik TJ.
Front Microbiol. 2025 Aug 11;16:1644051.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1644051

Clostridioides difficile should be considered a bacterial priority pathogen.
Smits WK, Garey KW, Riley TV, Han YW, Young VB, Heritage J, Lillis CJ, Lyras D, Rupnik M, Johnson S.
Lancet Microbe. 2025 Jun 26:101184.
doi: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101184.

Clostridioides difficile is a bacterial priority pathogen.
Smits WK, Garey KW, Riley TV, Johnson S.
Anaerobe. 2025 Jun;93:102965.
doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2025.102965.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Clostridioides difficile: a dual-site study of three different media and three therapeutic antimicrobials.
Freeman J, Sanders IMJG, Harmanus C, Clark EV, Berry AM, Smits WK.
Clin Microbiol Infect. 2025 Jun;31(6):1011-1017.
doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2025.01.028

Regulatory workshop on standardisation of clinical procedures, endpoints and data robustness of human challenge studies - A stakeholder meeting report.
Meln I, Cnossen V, Corti N, Andeweg A, Baay M, Chiu C, Coia J, Cornely O, Cox RJ, Dasyam D, De Keersmaecker SCJ, Deming M, Waldock J, Engelhardt OG, Guo M, Haj-Ali Saflo O, Hensen A, Jeeninga R, Kolstoe S, Krut O, Kuijper EJ, Leal L, Mazur N, Mohn KGI, Morel S, Osterhaus A, Moreira AP, Smits WK, Sridhar S, Toomey D, van Gerven J, Vehreschild MJGT, Yarzabal JP, Zimmer-Harwood P, Neels P, Olesen OF, Roestenberg M, Kamerling IMC.
Biologicals. 2025 May;90:101818.
doi: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2025.101818

A Non-Metaproteomics Researchers' View on Metaproteomics in Microbiome Research.
Aho VTE, Clerbaux LA, Kupczok A, Tillett B, Garg N, Henderickx JGE.
Proteomics. 2025 Apr 27:e202500019.
doi: 10.1002/pmic.202500019. 

The presence of Clostridioides difficile in faeces before and after faecal microbiota transplantation and its relation with recurrent C. difficile infection and the gut microbiota in a Dutch cohort.
Groenewegen B, van Lingen E, Kovynev A, van den Berg AJ, Berssenbrugge EKL, Sanders IMJG, van Prehn J, van Nood E, Goorhuis A, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK, Wiese M, Keller JJ, Ducarmon QR, Terveer EM; Study Group of the Netherlands Donor Feces Bank.
Clin Microbiol Infect. 2025 Apr;31(4):568-574.
doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2024.12.003.

How to develop a controlled human infection model for Clostridioides difficile.
Hensen ADO, Vehreschild MJGT, Gerding DN, Krut O, Chen W, Young VB, Tzipori S, Solbach P, Gibani MM, Chiu C, de Keersmaecker SCJ, Dasyam D, Morel S, Devaster JM, Corti N, Kuijper EJ, Roestenberg M, Smits WK.
Clin Microbiol Infect. 2025 Mar;31(3):373-379.
doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2024.08.025.

The New Horizon of Clostridioides difficile Infection Treatment.
Kuijper EJ, Garey KW.
Gastroenterology. 2025 Feb;168(2):219-222.
doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2024.10.032

Elucidation of the Glycan Structure of the b-type Flagellin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.
Hensbergen PJ, van Huijkelom L, van Angeren J, de Ru AH, Claushuis B, van Veelen PA, Smits WK, Corver J.
ACS Infect Dis. 2025 Feb 14;11(2):518-528.
doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00896.

Metagenomic global survey and in-depth genomic analyses of Ruminococcus gnavus reveal differences across host lifestyle and health status.
Nooij S, Plomp N, Sanders IMJG, Schout L, van der Meulen AE, Terveer EM, Norman JM, Karcher N, Larralde MF, Vossen RHAM, Kloet SL, Faber KN, Harmsen HJM, Zeller GF, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK, Ducarmon QR.
Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 30;16(1):1182.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56449-x.

The intestinal flora: The key to unraveling heterogeneity in immune thrombocytopenia?
Schoenaker JM, Nelson VS, Henderickx JGE, Terveer EM, Jansen AJG, Porcelijn L, Netelenbos T, Schipperus MR, Kapur R.
Blood Rev. 2025 Jan;69:101252.
doi: 10.1016/j.blre.2024.101252

Clostridioides difficile recovered from hospital patients, livestock and dogs in Nigeria share near-identical genome sequences.
Ngbede EO, Junker V, Kolte B, Frentrup M, Boldt J, Fawley WN, Wilcox MH, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK, Nübel U.
Microb Genom. 2025 Jan;11(1).
doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.001342.

Genomic and phenotypic characterization of a Clostridioides difficile strain of the epidemic ST37 type from China.
Li C, Heuler J, Zhu D, Meng X, Chakraborty S, Harmanus C, Wang S, Peng Z, Smits WK, Wu A, Sun X.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2024 Oct 18;14:1412408.
doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1412408.

 Proteolytic activity of surface-exposed HtrA determines its expression level and is needed to survive acidic conditions in Clostridioides difficile.
Corver J, Claushuis B, Shamorkina TM, de Ru AH, van Leeuwen MM, Hensbergen PJ, Smits WK.
Mol Microbiol. 2024 Oct;122(4):413-428.
doi: 10.1111/mmi.15300.

Characterization of the Clostridioides difficile 630Δerm putative Pro-Pro endopeptidase CD1597.
Claushuis B, de Ru AH, van Veelen PA, Hensbergen PJ, Corver J.
Access Microbiol. 2024 Oct 8;6(10):000855.v3.
doi: 10.1099/acmi.0.000855.v3.

Non-prime- and prime-side profiling of Pro-Pro endopeptidase specificity using synthetic combinatorial peptide libraries and mass spectrometry.
Claushuis B, Cordfunke RA, de Ru AH, van Angeren J, Baumann U, van Veelen PA, Wuhrer M, Corver J, Drijfhout JW, Hensbergen PJ.
FEBS J. 2024 Sep;291(17):3820-3838.
doi: 10.1111/febs.17160.

 Semisynthetic guanidino lipoglycopeptides with potent in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity.
van Groesen E, Mons E, Kotsogianni I, Arts M, Tehrani KHME, Wade N, Lysenko V, Stel FM, Zwerus JT, De Benedetti S, Bakker A, Chakraborty P, van der Stelt M, Scheffers DJ, Gooskens J, Smits WK, Holden K, Gilmour PS, Willemse J, Hitchcock CA, van Hasselt JGC, Schneider T, Martin NI.
Sci Transl Med. 2024 Aug 7;16(759):eabo4736.
doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo4736. 

 A healthy dietary pattern is associated with microbiota diversity in recently diagnosed bipolar patients: The Bipolar Netherlands Cohort (BINCO) study.
Riedinger MA, Mesbah R, Koenders M, Henderickx JGE, Smits WK, El Filali E, Geleijnse JM, van der Wee NJA, de Leeuw M, Giltay EJ.
J Affect Disord. 2024 Jun 15;355:157-166.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.105.

 Fecal microbiota transplantation: current challenges and future landscapes.
Yadegar A, Bar-Yoseph H, Monaghan TM, Pakpour S, Severino A, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK, Terveer EM, Neupane S, Nabavi-Rad A, Sadeghi J, Cammarota G, Ianiro G, Nap-Hill E, Leung D, Wong K, Kao D.
Clin Microbiol Rev. 2024 Jun 13;37(2):e0006022.
doi: 10.1128/cmr.00060-22. 

Clostridioides difficile in calves, cattle and humans from Dutch dairy farms: Predominance of PCR ribotype 695 (clade 5, sequence type 11) in cattle.
Cuperus T, Wit B, Castelijn G, Hengeveld P, Opsteegh M, van der Giessen J, Harmanus C, van Prehn J, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK.
One Health. 2024 Apr 24;18:100739.
doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100739.

Fungal and bacterial gut microbiota differ between Clostridioides difficile colonization and infection.
Henderickx JGE, Crobach MJT, Terveer EM, Smits WK, Kuijper EJ, Zwittink RD.
Microbiome Res Rep. 2023 Dec 6;3(1):8.
doi: 10.20517/mrr.2023.52.

Revised Model for the Type A Glycan Biosynthetic Pathway in Clostridioides difficile Strain 630Δerm Based on Quantitative Proteomics of cd0241-cd0244 Mutant Strains.
Claushuis B, de Ru AH, Rotman SA, van Veelen PA, Dawson LF, Wren BW, Corver J, Smits WK, Hensbergen PJ.
ACS Infect Dis. 2023 Dec 8;9(12):2665-2674.
doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00485.

The vulvar microbiome in lichen sclerosus and high-grade intraepithelial lesions.
Pagan L, Huisman BW, van der Wurff M, Naafs RGC, Schuren FHJ, Sanders IMJG, Smits WK, Zwittink RD, Burggraaf J, Rissmann R, Piek JMJ, Henderickx JGE, van Poelgeest MIE.
Front Microbiol. 2023 Nov 29;14:1264768.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1264768.

Prevalence of Clostridioides difficile in dogs (Canis familiaris) with gastrointestinal disorders in Rio de Janeiro.
Leite S, Cotias C, Rainha KC, Santos MG, Penna B, F Moraes RF, Harmanus C, Smits WK, Ferreira EO.
Anaerobe. 2023 Oct;83:102765.
doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2023.102765. 

In-Depth Specificity Profiling of Endopeptidases Using Dedicated Mix-and-Split Synthetic Peptide Libraries and Mass Spectrometry.
Claushuis B, Cordfunke RA, de Ru AH, Otte A, van Leeuwen HC, Klychnikov OI, van Veelen PA, Corver J, Drijfhout JW, Hensbergen PJ.
Anal Chem. 2023 Aug 8;95(31):11621-11631.
doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01215.

The vanRCd Mutation 343A>G, Resulting in a Thr115Ala Substitution, Is Associated with an Elevated Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of Vancomycin in Clostridioides difficile Clinical Isolates from Florida.
Wickramage I, Peng Z, Chakraborty S, Harmanus C, Kuijper EJ, Alrabaa S, Smits WK, Sun X.
Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Jun 15;11(3):e0377722.
doi: 10.1128/spectrum.03777-22.

Clostridioides difficile infection with isolates of cryptic clade C-II: a genomic analysis of polymerase chain reaction ribotype 151.
Ducarmon QR, van der Bruggen T, Harmanus C, Sanders IMJG, Daenen LGM, Fluit AC, Vossen RHAM, Kloet SL, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK.
Clin Microbiol Infect. 2023 Apr;29(4):538.e1-538.e6.
doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2022.12.003.

Non-Toxigenic Clostridioides difficile Strain E4 (NTCD-E4) Prevents Establishment of Primary C. difficile Infection by Epidemic PCR Ribotype 027 in an In Vitro Human Gut Model.
Etifa P, Rodríguez C, Harmanus C, Sanders IMJG, Sidorov IA, Mohammed OA, Savage E, Timms AR, Freeman J, Smits WK, Wilcox MH, Baines SD.
Antibiotics (Basel). 2023 Feb 22;12(3):435.
doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12030435.

Dietary butyrate ameliorates metabolic health associated with selective proliferation of gut Lachnospiraceae bacterium 28-4.
Li Z, Zhou E, Liu C, Wicks H, Yildiz S, Razack F, Ying Z, Kooijman S, Koonen DPY, Heijink M, Kostidis S, Giera M, Sanders IMJG, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK, van Dijk KW, Rensen PCN, Wang Y.
JCI Insight. 2023 Feb 22;8(4):e166655.
doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.166655.

Carriage of three plasmids in a single human clinical isolate of Clostridioides difficile.
Roseboom AM, Ducarmon QR, Hornung BVH, Harmanus C, Crobach MJT, Kuijper EJ, Vossen RHAM, Kloet SL, Smits WK.
Plasmid. 2023 Jan-Mar;125:102669.
doi: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2022.102669.

Conversion of unresponsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibition by fecal microbiota transplantation in patients with metastatic melanoma: study protocol for a randomized phase Ib/IIa trial.
Borgers JSW, Burgers FH, Terveer EM, van Leerdam ME, Korse CM, Kessels R, Flohil CC, Blank CU, Schumacher TN, van Dijk M, Henderickx JGE, Keller JJ, Verspaget HW, Kuijper EJ, Haanen JBAG.
BMC Cancer. 2022 Dec 30;22(1):1366.
doi: 10.1186/s12885-022-10457-y.

Sequence-Based Identification of Metronidazole-Resistant Clostridioides difficile Isolates.
Smits WK, Harmanus C, Sanders IMJG, Bry L, Blackwell GA, Ducarmon QR, de Oliveira Ferreira E, Kuijper EJ.
Emerg Infect Dis. 2022 Nov;28(11):2308-2311.
doi: 10.3201/eid2811.220615.

In-Depth Characterization of the Clostridioides difficile Phosphoproteome to Identify Ser/Thr Kinase Substrates.
Garcia-Garcia T, Douché T, Giai Gianetto Q, Poncet S, El Omrani N, Smits WK, Cuenot E, Matondo M, Martin-Verstraete I.
Mol Cell Proteomics. 2022 Nov;21(11):100428.
doi: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2022.100428.

2'-Fucosyllactose inhibits proliferation of Clostridioides difficile ATCC 43599 in the CDi-screen, an in vitro model simulating Clostridioides difficile infection.
Wiese M, Schuren FHJ, Smits WK, Kuijper EJ, Ouwens A, Heerikhuisen M, Vigsnaes L, van den Broek TJ, de Boer P, Montijn RC, van der Vossen JMBM.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022 Oct 28;12:991150.
doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.991150.

International travel, the gut microbiome, and ESBL-E coli carriage - Authors' reply.
Ducarmon QR, Smits WK, Goeman JJ, Kuijper EJ.
Lancet Microbe. 2022 Oct;3(10):e731.
doi: 10.1016/S2666-5247(22)00199-9. 

New insights into the type A glycan modification of Clostridioides difficile flagellar protein flagellin C by phosphoproteomics analysis.
Hensbergen PJ, de Ru AH, Friggen AH, Corver J, Smits WK, van Veelen PA.
J Biol Chem. 2022 Mar;298(3):101622.
doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101622.

Clostridioides difficile Phosphoproteomics Shows an Expansion of Phosphorylated Proteins in Stationary Growth Phase.
Smits WK, Mohammed Y, de Ru AH, Cordo' V, Friggen AH, van Veelen PA, Hensbergen PJ.
mSphere. 2022 Feb 23;7(1):e0091121.
doi: 10.1128/msphere.00911-21.

Comparison of Whole-Genome Sequence-Based Methods and PCR Ribotyping for Subtyping of Clostridioides difficile.
Baktash A, Corver J, Harmanus C, Smits WK, Fawley W, Wilcox MH, Kumar N, Eyre DW, Indra A, Mellmann A, Kuijper EJ.
J Clin Microbiol. 2022 Feb 16;60(2):e0173721.
doi: 10.1128/JCM.01737-21.

Practical observations on the use of fluorescent reporter systems in Clostridioides difficile.
Oliveira Paiva AM, Friggen AH, Douwes R, Wittekoek B, Smits WK.
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 2022 Feb;115(2):297-323.
doi: 10.1007/s10482-021-01691-8. 

Plasmids of Clostridioides difficile.
Smits WK, Roseboom AM, Corver J.
Curr Opin Microbiol. 2022 Feb;65:87-94.
doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.10.016. 

Host Immune Responses to Clostridioides difficile: Toxins and Beyond.
Nibbering B, Gerding DN, Kuijper EJ, Zwittink RD, Smits WK.
Front Microbiol. 2021 Dec 21;12:804949.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.804949.

A Bioluminescent Sensor for Rapid Detection of PPEP-1, a Clostridioides difficile Biomarker.
Ng KK, Reinert ZE, Corver J, Resurreccion D, Hensbergen PJ, Prescher JA.
Sensors (Basel). 2021 Nov 11;21(22):7485.
doi: 10.3390/s21227485.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Influences Procarcinogenic Escherichia coli in Recipient Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Patients.
Nooij S, Ducarmon QR, Laros JFJ, Zwittink RD, Norman JM, Smits WK, Verspaget HW, Keller JJ, Terveer EM, Kuijper EJ; Working Group of the Netherlands Donor Feces Bank.
Gastroenterology. 2021 Oct;161(4):1218-1228.e5.
doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.06.009.

Haem is crucial for medium-dependent metronidazole resistance in clinical isolates of Clostridioides difficile.
Boekhoud IM, Sidorov I, Nooij S, Harmanus C, Bos-Sanders IMJG, Viprey V, Spittal W, Clark E, Davies K, Freeman J, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK; COMBACTE-CDI Consortium.
J Antimicrob Chemother. 2021 Jun 18;76(7):1731-1740.
doi: 10.1093/jac/dkab097. 

Cyclodextrin/Adamantane-Mediated Targeting of Inoculated Bacteria in Mice.
Welling MM, Duszenko N, van Willigen DM, Smits WK, Buckle T, Roestenberg M, van Leeuwen FWB.
Bioconjug Chem. 2021 Mar 17;32(3):607-614.
doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00061.

Phylogenetic analysis of the bacterial Pro-Pro-endopeptidase domain reveals a diverse family including secreted and membrane anchored proteins.
van Leeuwen HC, Roelofs D, Corver J, Hensbergen P.
Curr Res Microb Sci. 2021 Feb 26;2:100024.
doi: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2021.100024.

Distinct evolution of colistin resistance associated with experimental resistance evolution models in Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Aulin LBS, Koumans CIM, Haakman Y, van Os W, Kraakman MEM, Gooskens J, Smits WK, Liakopoulos A, van Hasselt JGC.
J Antimicrob Chemother. 2021 Jan 19;76(2):533-535.
doi: 10.1093/jac/dkaa450.

Identification of the Unwinding Region in the Clostridioides difficile Chromosomal Origin of Replication.
Oliveira Paiva AM, van Eijk E, Friggen AH, Weigel C, Smits WK.
Front Microbiol. 2020 Oct 2;11:581401.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.581401. 

Redefining the Clostridioides difficile σB Regulon: σB Activates Genes Involved in Detoxifying Radicals That Can Result from the Exposure to Antimicrobials and Hydrogen Peroxide.
Boekhoud IM, Michel AM, Corver J, Jahn D, Smits WK.
mSphere. 2020 Sep 16;5(5):e00728-20.
doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00728-20. 

The C-Terminal Domain of Clostridioides difficile TcdC Is Exposed on the Bacterial Cell Surface.
Oliveira Paiva AM, de Jong L, Friggen AH, Smits WK, Corver J.
J Bacteriol. 2020 Oct 22;202(22):e00771-19.
doi: 10.1128/JB.00771-19. 

The recent emergence of a highly related virulent Clostridium difficile clade with unique characteristics.
Shaw HA, Preston MD, Vendrik KEW, Cairns MD, Browne HP, Stabler RA, Crobach MJT, Corver J, Pituch H, Ingebretsen A, Pirmohamed M, Faulds-Pain A, Valiente E, Lawley TD, Fairweather NF, Kuijper EJ, Wren BW.
Clin Microbiol Infect. 2020 Apr;26(4):492-498.
doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2019.09.004.

Plasmid-mediated metronidazole resistance in Clostridioides difficile.
Boekhoud IM, Hornung BVH, Sevilla E, Harmanus C, Bos-Sanders IMJG, Terveer EM, Bolea R, Corver J, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK.
Nat Commun. 2020 Jan 30;11(1):598
doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14382-1.

Clostridium difficile clade 3 (RT023) have a modified cell surface and contain a large transposable island with novel cargo.
Shaw HA, Khodadoost L, Preston MD, Corver J, Mullany P, Wren BW.
Sci Rep. 2019 Oct 25;9(1):15330.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-51628-5.

An in silico survey of Clostridioides difficile extrachromosomal elements.
Hornung BVH, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK.
Microb Genom. 2019 Sep;5(9):e000296.
doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000296.

#EUROmicroMOOC: using Twitter to share trends in Microbiology worldwide.
López-Goñi I, Giner-Lamia J, Álvarez-Ordoñez A, Benitez-Páez A, Claessen D, Cortesao M, de Toro M, García-Ruano D, Granato ET, Kovács ÁT, Romalde JL, Sana TG, Sánchez-Angulo M, Sangari FJ, Smits WK, Sturm T, Thomassin JL, Valdehuesa KNG, Zapotoczna M.
FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2019 Jun 1;366(11):fnz141.
doi: 10.1093/femsle/fnz141.

Multimodal Tracking of Controlled Staphylococcus aureus Infections in Mice.
Welling MM, de Korne CM, Spa SJ, van Willigen DM, Hensbergen AW, Bunschoten A, Duszenko N, Smits WK, Roestenberg M, van Leeuwen FWB.
ACS Infect Dis. 2019 Jul 12;5(7):1160-1168.
doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00015. 

Identification and validation of two peptide markers for the recognition of Clostridioides difficile MLST-1 and MLST-11 by MALDI-MS.
Corver J, Sen J, Hornung BVH, Mertens BJ, Berssenbrugge EKL, Harmanus C, Sanders IMJG, Kumar N, Lawley TD, Kuijper EJ, Hensbergen PJ, Nicolardi S.
Clin Microbiol Infect. 2019 Jul;25(7):904.e1-904.e7.
doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2018.10.008.

The Bacterial Chromatin Protein HupA Can Remodel DNA and Associates with the Nucleoid in Clostridium difficile.
Oliveira Paiva AM, Friggen AH, Qin L, Douwes R, Dame RT, Smits WK.
J Mol Biol. 2019 Feb 15;431(4):653-672.
doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.01.001. 

Genome Location Dictates the Transcriptional Response to PolC Inhibition in Clostridium difficile.
van Eijk E, Boekhoud IM, Kuijper EJ, Bos-Sanders IMJG, Wright G, Smits WK.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2019 Jan 29;63(2):e01363-18.
doi: 10.1128/AAC.01363-18.

Characterization of the virulence of a non-RT027, non-RT078 and binary toxin-positive Clostridium difficile strain associated with severe diarrhea.
Li C, Harmanus C, Zhu D, Meng X, Wang S, Duan J, Liu S, Fu C, Zhou P, Liu R, Wu A, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK, Fu L, Sun X.
Emerg Microbes Infect. 2018 Dec 12;7(1):211.
doi: 10.1038/s41426-018-0211-1.

Discovery of a new Pro-Pro endopeptidase, PPEP-2, provides mechanistic insights into the differences in substrate specificity within the PPEP family.
Klychnikov OI, Shamorkina TM, Weeks SD, van Leeuwen HC, Corver J, Drijfhout JW, van Veelen PA, Sluchanko NN, Strelkov SV, Hensbergen PJ.
J Biol Chem. 2018 Jul 13;293(28):11154-11165.
doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.003244.

Mechanistic Insights in the Success of Fecal Microbiota Transplants for the Treatment of Clostridium difficile Infections.
Baktash A, Terveer EM, Zwittink RD, Hornung BVH, Corver J, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK.
Front Microbiol. 2018 Jun 12;9:1242.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01242.

Proteomic identification of Axc, a novel beta-lactamase with carbapenemase activity in a meropenem-resistant clinical isolate of Achromobacter xylosoxidans.
Fleurbaaij F, Henneman AA, Corver J, Knetsch CW, Smits WK, Nauta ST, Giera M, Dragan I, Kumar N, Lawley TD, Verhoeven A, van Leeuwen HC, Kuijper EJ, Hensbergen PJ.
Sci Rep. 2018 May 25;8(1):8181.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-26079-z. 

The evolving epidemic of Clostridium difficile 630.
Roberts AP, Smits WK.
Anaerobe. 2018 Oct;53:2-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2018.04.015.

A helicase-containing module defines a family of pCD630-like plasmids in Clostridium difficile.
Smits WK, Weese JS, Roberts AP, Harmanus C, Hornung B.
Anaerobe. 2018 Feb;49:78-84.
doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2017.12.005.

Covalent attachment and Pro-Pro endopeptidase (PPEP-1)-mediated release of Clostridium difficile cell surface proteins involved in adhesion.
Corver J, Cordo' V, van Leeuwen HC, Klychnikov OI, Hensbergen PJ.
Mol Microbiol. 2017 Sep;105(5):663-673.
doi: 10.1111/mmi.13736.

SNP-ing out the differences: Investigating differences between Clostridium difficile lab strains.
Smits WK.
Virulence. 2017 Aug 18;8(6):613-617.
doi: 10.1080/21505594.2016.1250998.

DNA replication proteins as potential targets for antimicrobials in drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
van Eijk E, Wittekoek B, Kuijper EJ, Smits WK.
J Antimicrob Chemother. 2017 May 1;72(5):1275-1284.
doi: 10.1093/jac/dkw548.

The Signal Sequence of the Abundant Extracellular Metalloprotease PPEP-1 Can Be Used to Secrete Synthetic Reporter Proteins in Clostridium difficile.
Oliveira Paiva AM, Friggen AH, Hossein-Javaheri S, Smits WK.
ACS Synth Biol. 2016 Dec 16;5(12):1376-1382.
doi: 10.1021/acssynbio.6b00104.

Primase is required for helicase activity and helicase alters the specificity of primase in the enteropathogen Clostridium difficile.
van Eijk E, Paschalis V, Green M, Friggen AH, Larson MA, Spriggs K, Briggs GS, Soultanas P, Smits WK.
Open Biol. 2016 Dec;6(12):160272.
doi: 10.1098/rsob.160272.

Interspecies Interactions between Clostridium difficile and Candida albicans.
van Leeuwen PT, van der Peet JM, Bikker FJ, Hoogenkamp MA, Oliveira Paiva AM, Kostidis S, Mayboroda OA, Smits WK, Krom BP.
mSphere. 2016 Nov 9;1(6):e00187-16.
doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00187-16.

A Novel Fic (Filamentation Induced by cAMP) Protein from Clostridium difficile Reveals an Inhibitory Motif-independent Adenylylation/AMPylation Mechanism.
Dedic E, Alsarraf H, Welner DH, Østergaard O, Klychnikov OI, Hensbergen PJ, Corver J, van Leeuwen HC, Jørgensen R.
J Biol Chem. 2016 Jun 17;291(25):13286-300.
doi: 10.1074/jbc.M115.705491

Clostridium difficile infection.
Smits WK, Lyras D, Lacy DB, Wilcox MH, Kuijper EJ.
Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016 Apr 7;2:16020.
doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.20.

Clostridium difficile secreted Pro-Pro endopeptidase PPEP-1 (ZMP1/CD2830) modulates adhesion through cleavage of the collagen binding protein CD2831.
Hensbergen PJ, Klychnikov OI, Bakker D, Dragan I, Kelly ML, Minton NP, Corver J, Kuijper EJ, Drijfhout JW, van Leeuwen HC.
FEBS Lett. 2015 Dec 21;589(24 Pt B):3952-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.10.027.

Complete genome sequence of the Clostridium difficile laboratory strain 630Δerm reveals differences from strain 630, including translocation of the mobile element CTn5.
van Eijk E, Anvar SY, Browne HP, Leung WY, Frank J, Schmitz AM, Roberts AP, Smits WK.
BMC Genomics. 2015 Jan 31;16(1):31.
doi: 10.1186/s12864-015-1252-7.

Complete genome sequence of BS49 and draft genome sequence of BS34A, Bacillus subtilis strains carrying Tn916.
Browne HP, Anvar SY, Frank J, Lawley TD, Roberts AP, Smits WK.
FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2015 Jan;362(3):1-4.
doi: 10.1093/femsle/fnu050.