scholarly journals Whole genome sequencing for typing and characterisation of Listeria monocytogenes isolated in a rabbit meat processing plant

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Palma ◽  
Frédérique Pasquali ◽  
Alex Lucchi ◽  
Alessandra De Cesare ◽  
Gerardo Manfreda

Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen able to survive and grow in different environments including food processing plants where it can persist for month or years. In the present study the discriminatory power of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS)-based analysis (cgMLST) was compared to that of molecular typing methods on 34 L. monocytogenes isolates collected over one year in the same rabbit meat processing plant and belonging to three genotypes (ST14, ST121, ST224). Each genotype included isolates indistinguishable by standard molecular typing methods. The virulence potential of all isolates was assessed by Multi Virulence-Locus Sequence Typing (MVLST) and the investigation of a representative database of virulence determinant genes. The whole genome of each isolate was sequenced on a MiSeq platform. The cgMLST, MVLST, and in silico identification of virulence genes were performed using publicly available tools. Draft genomes included a number of contigs ranging from 13 to 28 and N50 ranging from 456298 to 580604. The coverage ranged from 41 to 187X. The cgMLST showed a significantly superior discriminatory power only in comparison to ribotyping, nevertheless it allows the detection of two singletons belonging to ST14 that were not observed by other molecular methods. All ST14 isolates belonged to VT107, which 7-loci concatenated sequence differs for only 4 nucleotides to VT1 (Epidemic clone III). Analysis of virulence genes showed the presence of a fulllength inlA version in all ST14 isolates and of a mutated version including a premature stop codon (PMSC) associated to attenuated virulence in all ST121 isolates.

Author(s):  
Gunn Merethe Thomassen ◽  
Lukasz Krych ◽  
Susanne Knøchel ◽  
Lisbeth Mehli

Identification, source tracking, and surveillance of food pathogens is a crucial factor for the food-producing industry. Over the last decade, the techniques used for this have moved from conventional enrichment methods, through species-specific detection by PCR to sequencing-based methods, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) being the ultimate method. However, using WGS requires the right infrastructure, high computational power, and bioinformatics expertise. Therefore, there is a need for faster, more cost-effective, and more user-friendly methods. A newly developed method, ON-rep-seq, combines the classical rep-PCR method with nanopore sequencing, resulting in a highly discriminating set of sequences that can be used for species identification and also strain discrimination. This study is essentially a real industry case from a salmon processing plant. Twenty Listeria monocytogenes isolates were analyzed both by ON-rep-seq and WGS to identify and differentiate putative L. monocytogenes from a routine sampling of processing equipment and products, and finally, compare the strain-level discriminatory power of ON-rep-seq to different analyzing levels delivered from the WGS data. The analyses revealed that among the isolates tested there were three different strains. The isolates of the most frequently detected strain (n=15) were all detected in the problematic area in the processing plant. The strain level discrimination done by ON-rep-seq was in full accordance with the interpretation of WGS data. Our findings also demonstrate that ON-rep-seq may serve as a primary screening method alternative to WGS for identification and strain-level differentiation for surveillance of potential pathogens in a food-producing environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Fagerlund ◽  
Solveig Langsrud ◽  
Trond Møretrø

ABSTRACT Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen mostly associated with the consumption of ready-to-eat foods and can cause severe disease and death. It can be introduced into food chains from raw materials, but often the contamination source is the food production environment, where certain clones can persist for years. In the meat chain, ST9 is one of the most commonly encountered L. monocytogenes sequence types, and for effective source tracking, the divergence and spread of ST9 must be understood. In this study, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to characterize and track 252 L. monocytogenes ST9 isolates collected from four Norwegian meat processing plants between 2009 and 2017. The isolates formed distinct clusters relative to genomes found in public databases, and all but three isolates clustered into two major clonal populations. Different contamination patterns were revealed, e.g., evidence of contamination of two factories with a clone that diverged from its ancestor in the late 1990s through a common source of raw materials; breach of hygienic barriers within a factory, leading to repeated detection of two clones in the high-risk zone during a 4- to 6-year period; entry through the purchase and installation of second-hand equipment harboring a previously established clonal population; and spreading and diversification of two clones from two reservoirs within the same production room over a 9-year period. The present work provides data on the diversity of ST9, which is crucial for epidemiological investigations and highlights how WGS can be used for source tracking within food processing factories. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes is a deadly foodborne pathogen that is widespread in the environment, and certain types can be established in food factories. The sequence type ST9 dominates in meat processing environments, and this work was undertaken to obtain data needed for the tracking of this subtype. By using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we revealed the presence of cross-contamination routes between meat factories as well as within a single factory, including the spread from different reservoirs within the same room. It was also possible to estimate the time frame of persistence in the factory, as well as when and how new clones had entered. The present work contributes valuable information about the diversity of ST9 and exemplifies the potential power of WGS in food safety management, allowing the determination of relationships between strains both in an international context and locally between and within factories.


2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (17) ◽  
pp. 6024-6037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Stasiewicz ◽  
Haley F. Oliver ◽  
Martin Wiedmann ◽  
Henk C. den Bakker

ABSTRACTWhile the food-borne pathogenListeria monocytogenescan persist in food associated environments, there are no whole-genome sequence (WGS) based methods to differentiate persistent from sporadic strains. Whole-genome sequencing of 188 isolates from a longitudinal study ofL. monocytogenesin retail delis was used to (i) apply single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based phylogenetics for subtyping ofL. monocytogenes, (ii) use SNP counts to differentiate persistent from repeatedly reintroduced strains, and (iii) identify genetic determinants ofL. monocytogenespersistence. WGS analysis revealed three prophage regions that explained differences between three pairs of phylogenetically similar populations with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types that differed by ≤3 bands. WGS-SNP-based phylogenetics found that putatively persistentL. monocytogenesrepresent SNP patterns (i) unique to a single retail deli, supporting persistence within the deli (11 clades), (ii) unique to a single state, supporting clonal spread within a state (7 clades), or (iii) spanning multiple states (5 clades). Isolates that formed one of 11 deli-specific clades differed by a median of 10 SNPs or fewer. Isolates from 12 putative persistence events had significantly fewer SNPs (median, 2 to 22 SNPs) than between isolates of the same subtype from other delis (median up to 77 SNPs), supporting persistence of the strain. In 13 events, nearly indistinguishable isolates (0 to 1 SNP) were found across multiple delis. No individual genes were enriched among persistent isolates compared to sporadic isolates. Our data show that WGS analysis improves food-borne pathogen subtyping and identification of persistent bacterial pathogens in food associated environments.


Pathogens ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Stoller ◽  
Marc Stevens ◽  
Roger Stephan ◽  
Claudia Guldimann

Listeria monocytogenes can persist in food production facilities, resulting in serious threats to consumers due to the high mortality associated with listeriosis, especially in the very young, old and pregnant. We subtyped 124 strains of L. monocytogenes isolated from a meat processing facility in Switzerland by serotyping, multi locus sequence typing (MLST) typing and whole genome sequencing. We then analyzed their ability to form biofilms and their resistance to the disinfectants benzalkonium chloride (BC) and peracetic acid (PAA). The genotyping results of the strains showed that several clonal populations of L. monocytogenes belonging to CC9, CC204 and CC121 had persisted in this meat processing facility for at least four years. All of the strains showed biofilm forming capacity comparable to a known high biofilm forming strain. Known efflux pumps for BC were present in CC204, CC9 (brcABC) and CC121 (qacH) strains, while strains from other CC showed very low minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for BC. For PAA, minimal bactericidal concentrations of 1.2–1.6% for 20 min and minimal inhibitory concentrations between 0.1 and 0.2% were observed. These values were close to or above the recommended concentration for use (0.5–1%), suggesting that PAA might be ineffective at controlling L. monocytogenes in this and potentially other meat processing facilities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (49) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor W. Bailey ◽  
Naila C. do Nascimento ◽  
Arun K. Bhunia

ABSTRACT Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic invasive foodborne pathogen. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of L. monocytogenes strain F4244 (serotype 4b) using Illumina sequencing. The sequence showed 94.5% identity with strain F2365, serotype 4b, and 90.6% with EGD-e, serotype 1/2a.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. e0195413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rana Jajou ◽  
Albert de Neeling ◽  
Rianne van Hunen ◽  
Gerard de Vries ◽  
Henrieke Schimmel ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 102 (7) ◽  
pp. 6032-6036
Author(s):  
M. Ricchi ◽  
E. Scaltriti ◽  
G. Cammi ◽  
C. Garbarino ◽  
N. Arrigoni ◽  
...  

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