title: Influence of fatty acid precursors, including food preservatives, on the growth and fatty acid composition of Listeria monocytogenes at 37 and 10degreesC.
abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen that grows at refrigeration temperatures and increases its content of anteiso-C(15:0) fatty acid, which is believed to be a homeoviscous adaptation to ensure membrane fluidity, at these temperatures. As a possible novel approach for control of the growth of the organism, the influences of various fatty acid precursors, including branched-chain amino acids and branched- and straight-chain carboxylic acids, some of which are also well-established food preservatives, on the growth and fatty acid composition of the organism at 37 degrees C and 10 degrees C were studied in order to investigate whether the organism could be made to synthesize fatty acids that would result in impaired growth at low temperatures. The results indicate that the fatty acid composition of L. monocytogenes could be modulated by the feeding of branched-chain amino acid, C(4), C(5), and C(6) branched-chain carboxylic acid, and C(3) and C(4) straight-chain carboxylic acid fatty acid precursors, but the growth-inhibitory effects of several preservatives were independent of effects on fatty acid composition, which were minor in the case of preservatives metabolized via acetyl coenzyme A. The ability of a precursor to modify fatty acid composition was probably a reflection of the substrate specificities of the first enzyme, FabH, in the condensation of primers of fatty acid biosynthesis with malonyl acyl carrier protein.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Group, School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120, USA.
authors.forename: Mudcharee
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Julotok
authors.forename: Atul K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D015099:3-Oxoacyl-(Acyl-Carrier-Protein) Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005520:Food Preservatives; D015099:3-Oxoacyl-(Acyl-Carrier-Protein) Synthase