Deciphering why Salmonella Gallinarum is less invasive in vitro than Salmonella Enteritidis.

Salmonella Gallinarum and Salmonella Enteritidis are genetically closely related however associated with different pathologies. Several studies have suggested that S. Gallinarum is less invasive in vitro than S. Enteritidis. In this study we confirm that the S. Gallinarum strains tested were much less invasive than the S. Enteritidis strains tested in cells of avian or human origin. In addition, the S. Gallinarum T3SS-1-dependent ability to invade host cells was delayed by two to three hours compared to S. Enteritidis, indicating that T3SS-1-dependent entry is less efficient in S. Gallinarum than S. Enteritidis. This was neither due to a decreased transcription of T3SS-1 related genes when bacteria come into contact with cells, as transcription of hilA, invF and sipA was similar to that observed for S. Enteritidis, nor to a lack of functionality of the S. Gallinarum T3SS-1 apparatus as this apparatus was able to secrete and translocate effector proteins into host cells. In contrast, genome comparison of four S. Gallinarum and two S. Enteritidis strains revealed that all S. Gallinarum genomes displayed the same point mutations in each of the main T3SS-1 effector genes sipA, sopE, sopE2, sopD and sopA.

Epithelial cell invasion by salmonella typhimurium induces modulation of genes controlled by aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling and involved in extracellular matrix biogenesis.

Salmonella is the only bacterium able to enter a host cell by the two known mechanisms: trigger and zipper. The trigger mechanism relies on the injection of bacterial effectors into the host cell through the Salmonella type III secretion system 1. In the zipper mechanism, mediated by the invasins Rck and PagN, the bacterium takes advantage of a cellular receptor for invasion. This study describes the transcriptomic reprogramming of the IEC-6 intestinal epithelial cell line to Salmonella Typhimurium strains that invaded cells by a trigger, a zipper, or both mechanisms. Using S. Typhimurium strains invalidated for one or other entry mechanism, we have shown that IEC-6 cells could support both entries. Comparison of the gene expression profiles of exposed cells showed that irrespective of the mechanism used for entry, the transcriptomic reprogramming of the cell was nearly the same. On the other hand, when gene expression was compared between cells unexposed or exposed to the bacterium, the transcriptomic reprogramming of exposed cells was significantly different. It is particularly interesting to note the modulation of expression of numerous target genes of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor showing that this transcription factor was activated by S. Typhimurium infection. Numerous genes associated with the extracellular matrix were also modified. This was confirmed at the protein level by western-blotting showing a dramatic modification in some extracellular matrix proteins. Analysis of a selected set of modulated genes showed that the expression of the majority of these genes was modulated during the intracellular life of S. Typhimurium.

Polyphasic characterization and genetic relatedness of low-virulence and virulent Listeria monocytogenes isolates.

BACKGROUND: Currently, food regulatory authorities consider all Listeria monocytogenes isolates as equally virulent. However, an increasing number of studies demonstrate extensive variations in virulence and pathogenicity of L. monocytogenes strains. Up to now, there is no comprehensive overview of the population genetic structure of L. monocytogenes taking into account virulence level. We have previously demonstrated that different low-virulence strains exhibit the same mutations in virulence genes suggesting that they could have common evolutionary pathways. New low-virulence strains were identified and assigned to phenotypic and genotypic Groups using cluster analysis. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, virulence gene sequencing and multi-locus sequence typing analyses were performed to study the genetic relatedness and the population structure between the studied low-virulence isolates and virulent strains. RESULTS: These methods showed that low-virulence strains are widely distributed in the two major lineages, but some are also clustered according to their genetic mutations. These analyses showed that low-virulence strains initially grouped according to their lineage, then to their serotypes and after which, they lost their virulence suggesting a relatively recent emergence. CONCLUSIONS: Loss of virulence in lineage II strains was related to point mutation in a few virulence genes (prfA, inlA, inlB, plcA). These strains thus form a tightly clustered, monophyletic group with limited diversity. In contrast, low-virulence strains of lineage I were more dispersed among the virulence strains and the origin of their loss of virulence has not been identified yet, even if some strains exhibited different mutations in prfA or inlA.

Preliminary phylogenetic identification of virulent Chlamydophila pecorum strains.

Chlamydophila pecorum is an obligate intracellular bacterium associated with different pathological conditions in ruminants, swine and koala, which is also found in the intestine of asymptomatic animals. A multi-virulence locus sequence typing (MVLST) system was developed using 19 C. pecorum strains (8 pathogenic and 11 non-pathogenic intestinal strains) isolated from ruminants of different geographical origins. To evaluate the ability of MVLST to distinguish the pathogenic from the non-pathogenic strains of C. pecorum, the sequences of 12 genes were analysed: 6 potential virulence genes (ompA, incA, incB, incC, mip and copN), 5 housekeeping genes (recA, hemD, aroC, efp, gap), and the ORF663 gene encoding a hypothetical protein (HP) that includes a variant 15-nucleotides coding tandem repeat (CTR). MVLST provided high discriminatory power (100%) in allowing to distinguish 6 of 8 pathogenic strains in a single group, and overall more discriminatory than MLST targeting housekeeping genes. ompA was the most polymorphic gene and the phylogenetic tree based only on its sequence differentiated 4 groups with high bootstrap values. The number of CTRs (rich in serine, proline and lysine) in ORF663 detected in the pathogenic strains was generally lower than that found in the intestinal strains. MVLST appears to be a promising method for the differential identification of virulent C. pecorum strains, and the ompA, incA and ORF663 genes appear to be good molecular markers for further epidemiological investigation of C. pecorum.

Virulence of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from the cheese dairy environment, other foods and clinical cases.

The virulence potential of 51 Listeria monocytogenes isolates, including strains from cheese, cheese production environments and from human cases of listeriosis, was evaluated in this study. The isolates were used to infect HT-29 cell monolayers in an in vitro test of virulence, based on a plaque-forming assay (PFA). Fifteen selected isolates were used for subcutaneous footpad inoculation in mice and subsequent recovery of the bacterium from the spleen 3 days after inoculation. In the PFA, two isolates from milk (serovar 1/2a) were not significantly different (P<0.05) from the low-virulence strain (442) used as reference. Thirty-three isolates were not significantly different (P<0.05) from the virulent strain (EGDe) used as reference. Nine isolates were significantly more virulent (highly virulent) than the EGDe strain and seven isolates were significantly less virulent. The nine highly virulent isolates were either from humans (four), from cheese dairy environments (two isolates of a strain were found persistently in two dairies), from cheese (one), from milk (one) and the reference strain for serovar 1/2b (CECT 936). The two milk isolates with low virulence in the PFA were found to be virulent in mice. In conclusion, all the isolates from food and food-related environments were potentially virulent or highly virulent. These results stress the risk of listeriosis associated with the consumption of cheese contaminated with L. monocytogenes, and once more emphasize the importance of good manufacturing practices (GMPs) together with sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs) throughout the food chain.

Salmonella Typhimurium Invalidated for the Three Currently Known Invasion Factors Keeps Its Ability to Invade Several Cell Models.

To establish an infection, Salmonella has to interact with eukaryotic cells. Invasion of non-phagocytic cells (i.e., epithelial, fibroblast and endothelial cells) involves either a trigger or a zipper mechanism mediated by the T3SS-1 or the invasin Rck, respectively. Another outer membrane protein, PagN, was also implicated in the invasion. However, other unknown invasion factors have been previously suggested. Our goal was to evaluate the invasion capability of a Salmonella Typhimurium strain invalidated for the three known invasion factors. Non-phagocytic cell lines of several animal origins were tested in a gentamicin protection assay. In most cells, we observed a drastic decrease in the invasion rate between the wild-type and the triple mutant. However, in five cell lines, the triple mutant invaded cells at a similarly high level to the wild-type, suggesting the existence of unidentified invasion factors. For the wild-type and the triple mutant, scanning-electron microscopy, confocal imaging and use of biochemical inhibitors confirmed their cellular uptake and showed a zipper-like mechanism of internalization involving both clathrin- and non-clathrin-dependent pathways. Despite a functional T3SS-1, the wild-type bacteria seemed to use the same entry route as the mutant in our cell model. All together, these results demonstrate the existence of unknown Salmonella invasion factors, which require further characterization.

Virulence of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from humans and smoked salmon, peeled shrimp, and their processing environments.

The virulence of 82 Listeria monocytogenes isolates from human cases and cold-smoked salmon, cooked peeled shrimp, and their production environments was assessed using the plaque-forming assay and a subcutaneous inoculation test in mice. These isolates were previously typed using serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The isolates from food-production environments were collected in several surveys over the period of 5 years. Sixty-eight (99.8%) of 69 isolates tested from food and food-processing environments were considered virulent while only one was avirulent. All clinical isolates (13) were highly virulent. The isolates were from raw materials, final products, and the production environment. This stresses the importance of hygiene in the processing environment as well as among personnel to avoid contamination of the final product.

Hypovirulent Listeria monocytogenes strains are less frequently recovered than virulent strains on PALCAM and Rapid' L. mono media.

Several selective media have been developed to detect Listeria monocytogenes contaminated foodstuffs. Polymyxin-acriflavine-LiCl-ceftazidime-aesculin-mannitol (PALCAM) and Oxford media, required for the EN ISO method 11 290-1, are used for the detection of Listeria spp. in 2 days based on the expression of esculinase activity. Selective agar media such as Rapid' L. mono and Agar Listeria according to Ottaviani and Agosti (ALOA), based on the activity of phosphatidylinositol phospholipase C (PI-PLC) that allows the specific detection of L. monocytogenes in 2 days, are also used. However, no medium can assess the level of virulence of L. monocytogenes strains. Using a plaque-forming assay followed by subcutaneous footpad inoculation in mice, 15 virulent, 8 hypovirulent and 17 avirulent strains were discriminated among L. monocytogenes strains mainly originating from food (36/40). Their growth was tested on the four selective media. After 2 days, the number of colony forming units (cfu) of all the virulent strains was significantly superior to the number obtained with avirulent strains on all the four media tested, and superior to the number obtained with hypovirulent strains on PALCAM and Oxford media. These results showed a relationship between the level of virulence of L. monocytogenes strains and their growth on the selective agar media tested. Moreover, 1 out of 8 hypovirulent and 5 out of 17 avirulent strains did not grow on Rapid' L. mono medium, and 1 hypovirulent and 8 avirulent strains grew but did not express PI-PLC activity during the 7 days of incubation. The lack of detection of PI-PLC activity on Rapid' L. mono was not related to a gene mutation since these strains expressed enzymatic activity on ALOA medium, which detected up to 92% of the hypo- and avirulent strains. In contrast, some of these strains without growth or enzymatic activity expression would not be detected with PALCAM and Rapid' L. mono in foodstuffs on the second day.

Heterogeneity of persistence of Salmonella enterica serotype Senftenberg strains could explain the emergence of this serotype in poultry flocks.

Salmonella enterica serotype Senftenberg (S. Senftenberg) has recently become more frequent in poultry flocks. Moreover some strains have been implicated in severe clinical cases. To explain the causes of this emergence in farm animals, 134 S. Senftenberg isolates from hatcheries, poultry farms and human clinical cases were analyzed. Persistent and non-persistent strains were identified in chicks. The non-persistent strains disappeared from ceca a few weeks post inoculation. This lack of persistence could be related to the disappearance of this serotype from poultry farms in the past. In contrast, persistent S. Senftenberg strains induced an intestinal asymptomatic carrier state in chicks similar to S. Enteritidis, but a weaker systemic infection than S. Enteritidis in chicks and mice. An in vitro analysis showed that the low infectivity of S. Senftenberg is in part related to its low capacity to invade enterocytes and thus to translocate the intestinal barrier. The higher capacity of persistent than non-persistent strains to colonize and persist in the ceca of chickens could explain the increased persistence of S. Senftenberg in poultry flocks. This trait might thus present a human health risk as these bacteria could be present in animals before slaughter and during food processing.

The ability to enter into an avirulent viable but non-culturable (VBNC) form is widespread among Listeria monocytogenes isolates from salmon, patients and environment.

Media-based bacteriological testing will fail to detect non-culturable organisms and the risk of consuming viable but non-culturable (VBNC) Listeria monocytogenes is unknown. We have here studied whether L. monocytogenes obtained from seafoods, processing environment and clinical cases enter the VBNC state and assessed the virulence of the non-culturable forms of the bacteria. A number of 16 L. monocytogenes strains were starved in microcosm water at 4 degrees C until loss of culturability. Metabolic activity in the VBNC form was measured as ATP generation using a luciferase assay and membrane integrity was examined using the LIVE/DEAD BacLight assay. All tested L. monocytogenes strains entered the VBNC state after starvation in microcosm water. Ongoing mRNA synthesis of hly in VBNC L. monocytogenes cells re-incubated in culture medium indicated a potential virulence of these forms. Sodium pyruvate and replenishment of nutrient were used in attempts to resuscitate VBNC cells. However, VBNC L. monocytogenes were not resuscitated under these conditions. VBNC L. monocytogenes were tested for virulence in a cell plaque assay and by intraperitoneally inoculation in immunodeficient RAG1(-/-) mice. Inoculation of VBNC L. monocytogenes in immunodeficient mice did not cause morbidity, and plaque assay on HT-29 cells in culture indicated that the VBNC cells were avirulent. The results indicate that the risk of non-culturable L. monocytogenes in foods, when the VBNC state is induced by starvation, is negligible.

Listeria rocourtiae sp. nov.

A Listeria-like strain isolated in Austria from pre-cut lettuce fitted the description of the genus Listeria although it could not be assigned to any of the known species. Comparison of the rrs gene (encoding 16S rRNA) sequence and gene content by DNA-array indicated affiliation to the genus Listeria. Phylogenetic distance from known species of the genus Listeria indicated that it represents a novel species. Since it can be differentiated from all other known species of the genus Listeria by using phenotypic tests, the name Listeria rocourtiae sp. nov. is proposed for the novel species. The type strain is CIP 109804(T) (=DSM 22097(T) =Allerberger 700284/02(T)). The type strain is avirulent as assessed by cell culture assays and inoculation of mice.

Avirulent viable but non culturable cells of Listeria monocytogenes need the presence of an embryo to be recovered in egg yolk and regain virulence after recovery.

The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency of the embryonated egg model to recover Viable But Non Culturable (VBNC) cells of Listeria monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes cells were incubated in filtered sterilised distilled water. The VBNC state was obtained after a 25 to 47 days incubation period (concentration of culturable cells less than 1 cfu/mL). Fifteen days after the VBNC state was reached, non culturability was checked in various media. One milliliter of each VBNC suspension that contained 10(4) metabolically active cells (i.e. Direct Viable Count + cells) was inoculated into the vitellus fluid of embryonated and non-embryonated eggs. Culturable cells were detected in a large proportion of the embryonated eggs (18/32), but not in the non-embryonated eggs (1/32). The recovery rate was higher after culture of the vitellus fluid plus embryo (18/32) than after culture of the vitellus fluid alone (6/32). The results indicate that the embryo likely plays a prominent part in the recovery process. The virulence of recovered cells was assessed by the ability to form plaques in HT-29 cell monolayers and by the ability to colonise mouse spleens. Although the cells were classified as avirulent when in the VBNC state, the virulence was recovered after resuscitation.

Virulence and cord blood mononuclear cells cytokine production induced by perinatal listeria monocytogenes strains from different phylogenetic lineages.

Some of the phylogenetic lineages of Listeria monocytogenes are more likely to cause invasive disease in humans than are strains from other phylogenetic lineages. This suggests that strains belonging to these lineages display different levels of pathogenicity. To investigate this, we carried out a plaque-forming assay with HT-29 cells to evaluate the virulence of six perinatal strains from the three lineages that compose the species. All of the strains were largely over the 3.34 cutoff (between 4.29 and 5.97 mean log) with the HT-29 model and can therefore be considered to be equally virulent. We also explored part of the immune response of cord blood mononuclear cells by measuring cytokine production. All strains induced the production of similar amounts of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. High concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 were produced (between 6,000 and 17,000 pg/ml), whereas little or no IFN-gamma or IL-12 was produced. Thus, there is no difference between the strains from the three genetic lineages in terms of virulence or cytokine response. Given the epidemiological distribution of the serotypes responsible for human listeriosis and the genetic structure of the L. monocytogenes species, our results suggest: (i) that all strains from lineage I (serotypes 1/2b and 4b), a genetically homogeneous subpopulation, have a similar level of pathogenicity, and (ii) that lineage II (serotypes 1/2a and 1/2c), which is genetically more heterogeneous, is composed of strains with different levels of pathogenicity. The ones responsible for invasive diseases, particularly perinatal infections, display a similar level of pathogenicity to lineage-I strains and are not virulence-attenuated strains that can only infect the most immunocompromised hosts, whereas the other lineage-II strains are probably less pathogenic for humans.