<i>In Vitro</i> Virulence Potential, Surface Attachment, and Transcriptional Response of Sublethally Injured Listeria monocytogenes following Exposure to Peracetic Acid
Danae Siderakou, Evangelia Zilelidou, Sofia Poimenidou, Spiros Paramithiotis, Eleni Mavrogonatou, Georgia Zoumpopoulou, Ioanna Tsipra, Dimitris Kletsas, Effie Tsakalidou, Panagiotis N. Skandamis
Abstract
L. monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness. Antimicrobial practices such as disinfectants used for the elimination of this pathogen in the food industry can produce a sublethally injured population fraction. Injured cells of this pathogen that may survive antimicrobial treatment may pose a food safety risk. Nevertheless, knowledge regarding how sublethal injury may impact important cellular traits and phenotypic responses of this pathogen is limited. This work suggests that sublethally injured L. monocytogenes cells maintain virulence and surface attachment potential and highlights the importance of the occurrence of sublethally injured cells regarding food safety.