The heat-shock response of Listeria monocytogenes comprises genes involved in heat shock, cell division, cell wall synthesis, and the SOS response.
The food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes has the ability to survive extreme environmental conditions due to an extensive interacting network of stress responses. It is able to grow and survive at relatively high temperatures in comparison with other non-sporulating food-borne pathogens. To investigate the heat-shock response of L. monocytogenes, whole-genome expression profiles of cells that were grown at 37 degrees C and exposed to 48 degrees C were examined using DNA microarrays. Transcription levels were measured over a 40 min period after exposure of the culture to 48 degrees C and compared with those of unexposed cultures at 37 degrees C. After 3 min, 25 % of all genes were differentially expressed, while after 40 min only 2 % of all genes showed differential expression, indicative of the transient nature of the heat-shock response. The global transcriptional response was validated by analysing the expression of a set of 13 genes by quantitative PCR. Genes previously identified as part of the class I and class III heat-shock response and the class II stress response showed induction at one or more of the time points investigated. This is believed to be the first study to report that several heat-shock-induced genes are part of the SOS response in L. monocytogenes. Furthermore, numerous differentially expressed genes that have roles in the cell division machinery or cell wall synthesis were down-regulated. This expression pattern is in line with the observation that heat shock results in cell elongation and prevention of cell division.
van der Veen
Stijn
S
Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences (WCFS), Diedenweg 20, 6703 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Division of Health and Safety, NIZO Food Research, Kernhemseweg 2, 6718 ZB Ede, The Netherlands.
Hain
Torsten
T
Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus-Liebig University, Frankfurter Strasse 107, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Wouters
Jeroen A
JA
Division of Health and Safety, NIZO Food Research, Kernhemseweg 2, 6718 ZB Ede, The Netherlands.
Hossain
Hamid
H
Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus-Liebig University, Frankfurter Strasse 107, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
de Vos
Willem M
WM
Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences (WCFS), Diedenweg 20, 6703 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Abee
Tjakko
T
Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences (WCFS), Diedenweg 20, 6703 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Chakraborty
Trinad
T
Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus-Liebig University, Frankfurter Strasse 107, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Wells-Bennik
Marjon H J
MHJ
Division of Health and Safety, NIZO Food Research, Kernhemseweg 2, 6718 ZB Ede, The Netherlands.|Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences (WCFS), Diedenweg 20, 6703 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands.
D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D018869:Heat-Shock Response / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013014:SOS Response, Genetics
D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger