Listeria monocytogenes biofilm-associated protein (BapL) may contribute to surface attachment of L. monocytogenes but is absent from many field isolates.
Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen capable of adhering to a range of surfaces utilized within the food industry, including stainless steel. The factors required for the attachment of this ubiquitous organism to abiotic surfaces are still relatively unknown. In silico analysis of the L. monocytogenes EGD genome identified a putative cell wall-anchored protein (Lmo0435 [BapL]), which had similarity to proteins involved in biofilm formation by staphylococci. An insertion mutation was constructed in L. monocytogenes to determine the influence of this protein on attachment to abiotic surfaces. The results show that the protein may contribute to the surface adherence of strains that possess BapL, but it is not an essential requirement for all L. monocytogenes strains. Several BapL-negative field isolates demonstrated an ability to adhere to abiotic surfaces equivalent to that of BapL-positive strains. BapL is not required for the virulence of L. monocytogenes in mice.
Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester LE19HN, United Kingdom.
Suzanne J
SJ
Jordan
Stefano
S
Perni
Sarah
S
Glenn
Isabel
I
Fernandes
Manuela
M
Barbosa
Manuela
M
Sol
Rogerio P
RP
Tenreiro
Lelia
L
Chambel
Belarmino
B
Barata
Isabel
I
Zilhao
Timothy G
TG
Aldsworth
Andreia
A
Adriao
M Leonor
ML
Faleiro
Gilbert
G
Shama
Peter W
PW
Andrew
D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018441:Biofilms; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial