Listeria
Perspective | Host-Microbe BiologyEvolutionary Perspectives on the Moonlighting Functions of Bacterial Factors That Support Actin-Based MotilityVarious bacterial pathogens display an intracellular lifestyle and spread from cell to cell through actin-based motility (ABM). ABM requires actin polymerization at the bacterial pole and is mediated by the expression of bacterial factors that hijack the host cell actin nucleation machinery or exhibit intrinsic actin nucleation properties.
- MinireviewBranching Out: Alterations in Bacterial Physiology and Virulence Due to Branched-Chain Amino Acid Deprivation
The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs [Ile, Leu, and Val]) represent important nutrients in bacterial physiology, with roles that range from supporting protein synthesis to signaling and fine-tuning the adaptation to amino acid starvation. In some pathogenic bacteria, the adaptation to amino acid starvation includes induction of virulence gene expression: thus, BCAAs support not only proliferation during infection, but also the evasion...
- Research ArticleViable-but-Nonculturable Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica Serovar Thompson Induced by Chlorine Stress Remain Infectious
Many bacteria are known to enter a viable-but-nonculturable (VBNC) state in response to environmental stresses. VBNC cells cannot be detected by standard laboratory culture techniques, presenting a problem for the food industry, which uses these techniques to detect pathogen contaminants. This study found that chlorine, a sanitizer commonly used for fresh produce, induces a VBNC state in the food-borne pathogens...