title: Biodiversity of the species Listeria monocytogenes and the genus Listeria.
abstract: This review describes the Listeria monocytogenes genome sequences available today and their comparison with that of Listeria innocua and Listeria welshimeri by highlighting their characteristic features and common traits. The diversity present among them is analysed with emphasis on putative virulence and host-pathogen interaction related functions. Then large-scale studies comparing gene content of Listeria and how these studies contributed to typing applications will be discussed. Finally, evolutionary conclusions and future perspectives in Listeria genomics are presented.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Génomique des Microorganismes Pathogènes and CNRS URA 2171, Institut Pasteur, 28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France. cbuch@pasteur.fr
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buchrieser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008087:Listeria / Q000235:genetics*; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000235:genetics*