Nonsense-mutated inlA and prfA not widely distributed in Listeria monocytogenes isolates from ready-to-eat seafood products in Japan

Int J Food Microbiol. 2007 Jul 15;117(3):312-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2007.05.003. Epub 2007 May 17.

Abstract

InlA is a surface protein participating in the entry of Listeria monocytogenes into mammalian non-phagocytic cells. PrfA is a positive regulatory factor that regulates the expression of a set of virulence genes. Recent studies revealed that some L. monocytogenes strains have a truncated form of these proteins because of nonsense mutations in their sequences, and these truncations contribute to the significant reduction in virulence of this pathogen. In this study, sequence analyses of inlA and prfA among L. monocytogenes isolated from ready-to-eat seafood revealed that only one out of 59 isolates had a nonsense-mutated inlA and all had non-mutated prfA. This indicated that these strains could be fully virulent based on the sizes of these proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Codon, Nonsense*
  • Food Microbiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Listeria monocytogenes / genetics*
  • Listeria monocytogenes / pathogenicity*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Termination Factors / genetics
  • Peptide Termination Factors / metabolism*
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Seafood / microbiology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Codon, Nonsense
  • Peptide Termination Factors
  • internalin protein, Bacteria