A novel gene, lstC, of Listeria monocytogenes is implicated in high salt tolerance

Listeria monocytogenes, causative agent of human listeriosis, has been isolated from a wide variety of foods including deli meats, soft cheeses, cantaloupes, sprouts and canned mushrooms. Standard control measures for restricting microbial growth such as refrigeration and high salt are often inadequ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Food microbiology 2015-06, Vol.48, p.72-82
Main Authors: Burall, Laurel S., Simpson, Alexandra C., Chou, Luoth, Laksanalamai, Pongpan, Datta, Atin R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetyltransferases - chemistry
Acetyltransferases - genetics
Acetyltransferases - metabolism
Bacterial Proteins - chemistry
Bacterial Proteins - genetics
Bacterial Proteins - metabolism
Cucumis melo
Food preservation
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria monocytogenes - chemistry
Listeria monocytogenes - enzymology
Listeria monocytogenes - genetics
Listeria monocytogenes - metabolism
Operon
Protein Structure, Tertiary
Salt growth
Salt-Tolerance
Sodium Chloride - metabolism
Stress adaptation
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Summary:Listeria monocytogenes, causative agent of human listeriosis, has been isolated from a wide variety of foods including deli meats, soft cheeses, cantaloupes, sprouts and canned mushrooms. Standard control measures for restricting microbial growth such as refrigeration and high salt are often inadequate as L. monocytogenes grows quite well in these environments. In an effort to better understand the genetic and physiological basis by which L. monocytogenes circumvents these controls, a transposon library of L. monocytogenes was screened for changes in their ability to grow in 7% NaCl and/ or at 5 °C. This work identified a transposon insertion upstream of an operon, here named lstABC, that led to a reduction in growth in 7% NaCl. In-frame deletion studies identified lstC which codes for a GNAT-acetyltransferase being responsible for the phenotype. Transcriptomic and RT-PCR analyses identified nine genes that were upregulated in the presence of high salt in the ΔlstC mutant. Further analysis of lstC and the genes affected by ΔlstC is needed to understand LstC's role in salt tolerance. •Understanding salt tolerance is important to restrict Listeria growth in foods.•We have identified a new gene, lstC, which controls Listeria growth in high salt.•This gene appears to regulate several other genes in Listeria monocytogenes.•Understanding the functioning of these genes helps to understand salt tolerance.•These gene products could be potential targets for lowering Listeria growth in foods.
ISSN:0740-0020
1095-9998
DOI:10.1016/j.fm.2014.12.008