Comparative Analysis of <i>In Vivo</i> and <i>In Vitro</i> Virulence Among Foodborne and Clinical <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> Strains
<i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> is one of the most important foodborne pathogens that can cause invasive listeriosis. In this study, the virulence levels of 26 strains of <i>L. monocytogenes</i> isolated from food and clinical samples in Shanghai, China, between 2020 and 2022 w...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/1/191 |
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| Summary: | <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> is one of the most important foodborne pathogens that can cause invasive listeriosis. In this study, the virulence levels of 26 strains of <i>L. monocytogenes</i> isolated from food and clinical samples in Shanghai, China, between 2020 and 2022 were analyzed. There were significant differences among isolates in terms of their mortality rate in <i>Galleria mellonella</i>, cytotoxicity to JEG-3 cells, hemolytic activity, and expression of important virulence genes. Compared with other STs, both the ST121 (food source) and ST1930 (clinic source) strains exhibited higher <i>G. mellonella</i> mortality. The 48 h mortality in <i>G. mellonella</i> of lineage II strains was significantly higher than that in lineage I. Compared with other STs, ST1930, ST3, ST5, and ST1032 exhibited higher cytotoxicity to JEG-3 cells. Based on the classification of sources (food and clinical strains) and serogroups (II a, II b, and II c), there were no significant differences observed in terms of <i>G. mellonella</i> mortality, cytotoxicity, and hemolytic activity. In addition, ST121 exhibited significantly higher <i>hly</i>, <i>inlA</i>, <i>inlB</i>, <i>prfA</i>, <i>plcA</i>, and <i>plcB</i> gene expression compared with other STs. A gray relation analysis showed a high correlation between the toxicity of <i>G. mellonella</i> and the expression of the <i>hly</i> and <i>inlB</i> genes; in addition, <i>L. monocytogenes</i> may have a consistent virulence mechanism involving hemolysis activity and cytotoxicity. Through the integration of <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i> infection models with information on the expression of virulence factor genes, the differences in virulence between strains or subtypes can be better understood. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-2607 |