A comparison of selected methods for measuring the virulence properties ofListeriaspp.

2006 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Chiu ◽  
Paul B Vanderlinde ◽  
Gary A Dykes

The comparative ability of different methods to assess virulence of Listeria species was investigated in ten Listeria strains. All strains were initially subjected to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis to determine their relatedness. Virulence characteristics were subsequently tested for by (i) determining the presence of six virulence genes by polymerase chain reaction; (ii) testing for the production of listeriolysin O, phosphatidylcholine phospholipase C, and phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C; (iii) investigating the hydrophobicity of the strains; (iv) determining the strains ability to attach to, enter, and replicate within the Caco-2 cells. Variations in most of the virulence characteristics were obvious across the strains for the range of tests performed. A wide range of anomalous results among methods were apparent. In particular, the presence of virulence genes was found to be unrelated to the production of virulence-associated proteins in vitro, while virulence protein production and hydrophobicity in Listeria monocytogenes were found to be unrelated or marginally related, respectively, to the ability to invade the Caco-2 cell line. It was concluded that the methods investigated were unable to consistently and unequivocally measure the differences in the virulence properties of the strains.Key words: Listeria monocytogenes, virulence, pathogenicity.

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gen Li ◽  
Guizhen Wang ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Hongtao Liu ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 4371-4382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier A. Carrero ◽  
Boris Calderon ◽  
Hector Vivanco-Cid ◽  
Emil R. Unanue

ABSTRACT Listeriolysin O (LLO) is an essential virulence factor for the gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Our goal was to determine if altering the topology of LLO would alter the virulence and toxicity of L. monocytogenes in vivo. A recombinant strain was generated that expressed a surface-associated LLO (sLLO) variant secreted at 40-fold-lower levels than the wild type. In culture, the sLLO strain grew in macrophages, translocated to the cytosol, and induced cell death. However, the sLLO strain showed decreased infectivity, reduced lymphocyte apoptosis, and decreased virulence despite a normal in vitro phenotype. Thus, the topology of LLO in L. monocytogenes was a factor in the pathogenesis of the infection and points to a role of LLO secretion during in vivo infection. The sLLO strain was cleared by severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Despite the attenuation of virulence, the sLLO strain was immunogenic and capable of eliciting protective T-cell responses.


2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUN-YOUNG BAEK ◽  
SOON-YOUNG LIM ◽  
DONG-HA LEE ◽  
KYUNG-HEE MIN ◽  
CHANG-MIN KIM

A total of 1,537 domestic and imported food products were examined for the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes between 1993 and 1997 in Korea. L. monocytogenes was detected using the U.S. Department of Agriculture isolation method. Isolated L. monocytogenes was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction with hly1 and hly2 primers designed from the listeriolysin O. Overall, 122 samples (7.9%) contained L. monocytogenes. The rate of isolation was 4.3% for beef, 19.1% for pork, 30.2% for chicken, 1.2% for shellfish, 4.4% for raw milk, 4.4% for frozen smoked mussels, and 6.1% for ice cream. No L. monocytogenes was found in pasteurized milk, pasteurized processed cheese, saltwater fish, dried seafoods, or ham. The overall incidence was lower than that reported in previous studies from other countries. Most isolates were serotype 1/2b except for chicken, in which serotype 1/2a was predominant. The serotyping results might imply the presence of food or geography-specific L. monocytogenes strains.


Author(s):  
Rasha Hadi Saleh ◽  
Habeeb S Naher ◽  
Mohammed AK Al-saadi

This study is aimed to isolate P.aeruginosa from different clinical cases and to detect the prevalence of virulence genes encoding hemolytic phospholipase C(plcH)in these clinical isolates. In this study a total of 422 clinical samples including burn,wound,ear,urine,abscess and stool were aseptically taken from out- and inpatients who admitted into two hospitals in Hilla City (Teaching Al-Hilla Hospital and Babylon Hospital for Maternity and children during a period of three months. All samples were subjected to bacterial cultivation for the isolation of P.aeruginosa. The isolated P.aeruginosa was diagnosed depended on morphological,biochemical and molecular standard characteristics. Hemolytic phospholipase Cencoding genes(plcH) were detected by PCR and the amplification products were separated in 1% agarose gels containing ethidium bromide. Out of 422 samples,P.aeruginosa was isolated from 54 samples (12.8%). The distribution of these isolates were: 22 (55%) from burn samples,2; (50%) from diabitics foot samples,8 (14.8%) from wound samples, 8 (32%) from ear samples,3 (11%) from abscess samples, 7 (4%) from stool samples,4 (4%) from urine samples and 0 sputum samples. The genotypic properties of hemolytic phospholipase C (plcH )toxins was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results of this study revealed that(plcH )gene found in 13/20 (65%)of isolates.


1999 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 1770-1778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra J. Wadsworth ◽  
Howard Goldfine

ABSTRACT Listeria monocytogenes secretes several proteins that have been shown to contribute to virulence. Among these is listeriolysin O (LLO), a pore-forming hemolysin that is absolutely required for virulence. Two other virulence factors are phospholipases: a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC [plcA]) and a broad-range PLC (plcB). Although mutations in plcA or plcB resulted in small increases in mouse 50% lethal dose (LD50), deletions in both genes resulted in a 500-fold increase in LD50. We have examined the role of these secreted proteins in host intracellular signaling in the J774 macrophage-like cell line. Measurements of cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) have revealed a rapid spike upon exposure of these cells to wild-typeL. monocytogenes. This is followed by a second peak at 5 min and a third prolonged peak with a maximal [Ca2+]i of 800 to 1,000 nM. The pattern of calcium changes was greatly altered by deletion of any of the three virulence factors. An LLO mutant produced none of these elevations in [Ca2+]i; however, a transient elevation was observed whenever these bacteria entered the cell. A PI-PLC mutant produced a diminished single elevation in [Ca2+]i at 15 to 30 min. A broad-range PLC mutant produced only the first calcium spike. Studies with inhibitors suggested that the first elevation arises from influx of calcium from the extracellular medium through plasma membrane channels and that the second and third elevations come from release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. We observed that internalization of wild-type bacteria and the broad-range PLC mutant was delayed for 5 to 10 min, but the LLO and PI-PLC mutants were internalized rapidly upon infection. Inhibitors that affected calcium signaling changed the kinetics of association of wild-type bacteria with J774 cells, the kinetics of entry, and the efficiency of escape from the primary phagosome.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damayanti Chakravarty ◽  
Gyan Sahukhal ◽  
Mark Arick ◽  
Morgan L. Davis ◽  
Janet R. Donaldson

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacterium that causes the foodborne illness listeriosis. The pathogenesis of this bacterium depends on its survival in anaerobic, acidic, and bile conditions encountered throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This transcriptomics study was conducted to analyze the differences in transcript levels produced under conditions mimicking the GI tract. Changes in transcript levels were analyzed using RNA isolated from L. monocytogenes strain F2365 at both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, upon exposure to 0 and 1% bile at acidic and neutral pH. Transcripts corresponding to genes responsible for pathogenesis, cell wall associated proteins, DNA repair, transcription factors, and stress responses had variations in levels under the conditions tested. Upon exposure to anaerobiosis in acidic conditions, there were variations in the transcript levels for the virulence factors internalins, listeriolysin O, etc., as well as many histidine sensory kinases. These data indicate that the response to anaerobiosis differentially influences the transcription of several genes related to the survival of L. monocytogenes under acidic and bile conditions. Though further research is needed to decipher the role of oxygen in pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes, these data provide comprehensive information on how this pathogen responds to the GI tract.


Author(s):  
Wei Yu ◽  
Yicheng Huang ◽  
Chaoqun Ying ◽  
Yanzi Zhou ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) pathogenicity and resistance. In addition, the effect of existing treatment options against Lm were systematically evaluated. Methods Six Lm isolates were collected and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 15 antibiotics were done. Subsequently, whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed. Biofilm formation was evaluated by crystal violet staining. Furthermore, the effect of meropenem, linezolid, penicillin, vancomycin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole were determined using the time-kill assay. Results Four sequence types (STs) were identified (ST1, ST3, ST87, ST451). Multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (MVLST) results classified ST87 isolates into cluster. All isolates were resistant to fosfomycin and daptomycin with fosX and mprF. In addition, a total of 80 virulence genes were detected and 72 genes were found in all six isolates. Seven genes associated with haemolysin were found in 26530 and 115423. However, due to lack of one genomic island including virulence genes related to flagellar synthesis, isolate 115423 produced less biofilm than five other isolates. Even all isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, the in vitro time-kill assay showed vancomycin monotherapy resulted in less than 2 log10 CFU/mL compared with the initial count. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole at serum or cerebrospinal fluid concentrations had bactericidal effect against tested Lm strains at 24 h. Conclusions ST87 clone was a typical prevalent ST in clinical Lm isolates in China. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole might be greater potential therapeutic option against Lm infections.


2012 ◽  
Vol 80 (6) ◽  
pp. 2221-2230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jody A. Melton-Witt ◽  
Susannah L. McKay ◽  
Daniel A. Portnoy

ABSTRACTListeriolysin O (LLO) is a pore-forming toxin of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) family and a primary virulence factor of the intracellular pathogenListeria monocytogenes. LLO mediates rupture of phagosomal membranes, thereby releasing bacteria into the growth-permissive host cell cytosol. Several unique features of LLO allow its activity to be precisely regulated in order to facilitate phagosomal escape, intracellular growth, and cell-to-cell spread. To improve our understanding of the multifaceted contribution of LLO to the pathogenesis ofL. monocytogenes, we developed a screen that combined saturation mutagenesis and signature tags, termedinvivoanalysis bysaturation mutagenesis andsignature tags (IVASS). We generated a library of LLO mutant strains, each harboring a single amino acid substitution and a signature tag, by using the previously described pPL2 integration vector. The signature tags acted as molecular barcodes, enabling high-throughput, parallel analysis of 40 mutants in a single animal and identification of attenuated mutants by negative selection. Using the IVASS technique we were able to screen over 90% of the 505 amino acids present in LLO and identified 60 attenuated mutants. Of these, 39 LLO residues were previously uncharacterized and potentially revealed novel functions of the toxin during infection. The mutants that were subsequently analyzedin vivoeach conferred a 2- to 4-orders of magnitude loss in virulence compared to wild type, thereby validating the screening methods. Phenotypic analysis of the LLO mutant library using commonin vitrotechniques suggested that the functional contributions of some residues could only have been revealed throughin vivoanalysis.


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