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Gut Pathogens
Published in: Gut Pathogens 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Listeriosis | Research

Characterization of internalin genes in Listeria monocytogenes from food and humans, and their association with the invasion of Caco-2 cells

Authors: Xudong Su, Guojie Cao, Jianmin Zhang, Haijian Pan, Daofeng Zhang, Dai Kuang, Xiaowei Yang, Xuebin Xu, Xianming Shi, Jianghong Meng

Published in: Gut Pathogens | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Internalins are surface proteins that are utilized by Listeria monocytogenes to facilitate its invasion into human intestinal epithelial cells. The expression of a full-length InlA is one of essential virulence factors for L. monocytogenes to cross the intestinal barrier in order to invade epithelial cells.

Results

In this study, the gene sequences of inlA in 120 L. monocytogenes isolates from food (n = 107) and humans (n = 13) were analyzed. Premature stop codon (PMSC) mutations in inlA were identified in 51 isolates (50 from food and 1 from human). Six mutation types of PMSCs were identified. Among the 51 isolates with PMSCs in inlA, there were 44 serogroup 1/2c, 3c isolates from food, of which seven belonged to serogroups 1/2a, 3a. A total of 153,382 SNPs in 2247 core genes from 42 genomes were identified and used to construct a phylogenetic tree. Serotype 1/2c isolates with inlA PMSC mutations were grouped together. Cell culture studies on 21 isolates showed that the invasion to Caco-2 cells was significantly reduced among isolates with inlA PMSC mutations compared to those without PMSC mutations (P < 0.01). The PMSC mutations in inlA correlated with the inability of the L. monocytogenes isolates to invade Caco-2 cells (Pearson’s coefficient 0.927, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Overall, the study has revealed the reduced ability of L. monocytogenes to invade human intestinal epithelial cells in vitro was linked to the presence of PMSC mutations in inlA. Isolates with PMSC mutations shared the same genomic characteristics indicating the genetic basis on the potential virulence of L. monocytogenes invasion.
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Metadata
Title
Characterization of internalin genes in Listeria monocytogenes from food and humans, and their association with the invasion of Caco-2 cells
Authors
Xudong Su
Guojie Cao
Jianmin Zhang
Haijian Pan
Daofeng Zhang
Dai Kuang
Xiaowei Yang
Xuebin Xu
Xianming Shi
Jianghong Meng
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Gut Pathogens / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1757-4749
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13099-019-0307-8

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