Resistance ofListeria MonocytogenesBiofilms to Sanitizing Agents

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is notorious for its ability to persistently colonize food processing and other environments. Formation of biofilms is one of the key attributes mediating such persistence. Resistance to sanitizers and other stresses may be higher in biofilm-associated L. monocytogenes than in planktonic cultures, potentially compromising the efficacy of sanitation regimes. In spite of extensive investigations on biofilm formation and approaches to inactivate L. monocytogenes, major gaps remain in our understanding of this pathogen's tolerance to disinfectants in the biofilm state. Contributing factors include the diversity and complexity of biofilms in processing plants and our still limited understanding of the microbial ecology of the processing plant ecosystem, together with the multitude of mechanisms that can mediate disinfectant tolerance and persistence of biofilm-associated cells. Further insights are expected as novel tools continue to become employed to characterize the microbiome of L. monocytogenes-harboring biofilms in food processing environments and elucidate responses to disinfectants at the genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic levels.