Abstract
The formation of Listeria monocytogenes biofilms contributes to persistent contamination in food processing facilities. A microarray comparison of L. monocytogenes between the transcriptome of the strong biofilm forming strain (Bfms) Scott A and the weak biofilm forming (Bfmw) strain F2365 was conducted to identify genes potentially involved in biofilm formation. Among 951 genes with significant difference in expression between the two strains, a GntR-family response regulator encoding gene (LMOf2365_0414), designated lbrA, was found to be highly expressed in Scott A relative to F2365. A Scott A lbrA-deletion mutant, designated AW3, formed biofilm to a much lesser extent as compared to the parent strain by a rapid attachment assay and scanning electron microscopy. Complementation with lbrA from Scott A restored the Bfms phenotype in the AW3 derivative. A second microarray assessment using the lbrA deletion mutant AW3 and the wild type Scott A revealed a total of 304 genes with expression significantly different between the two strains, indicating the potential regulatory role of LbrA in L. monocytogenes. A cloned copy of Scott A lbrA was unable to confer enhanced biofilm forming potential in F2365, suggesting that additional factors contributed to weak biofilm formation by F2365.
Highlights
Listeria monocytogenes is the etiological agent for listeriosis, one of the foodborne illnesses with high mortality rate [1]
One of the genes expressed at a significantly higher level (8 fold increase) in strain Scott A compared to the expression in strain F2365 was LMOf2365_0414, a GntR-family response regulator gene designated as lbrA (Listeria biofilm regulator A), was chosen for further assessments of its potential impact on L. monocytogenes biofilm forming strain (Bfms)
The results suggested that LbrA has a role in L. monocytogenes Bfm
Summary
Listeria monocytogenes is the etiological agent for listeriosis, one of the foodborne illnesses with high mortality rate [1]. The formation of L. monocytogenes biofilms is considered an important reason for persistent contamination in the food processing environment [2,3,4]. It is well-established that biofilm formation (Bfm) is a microbial protective mode of living, enabling the microorganisms to survive adverse environmental conditions. Various stimuli, such as nutrients, secondary metabolites and various environmental stresses play important roles in Bfm, from development to detachment. Understanding the complex metabolic networks impacting the presence and function of both primary and secondary biofim attributes is critical to design targeted intervention strategies
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