Growth and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes isolates on the plant model Arabidopsis thaliana

While the majority of human listeriosis cases appear to be linked to consumption of processed ready-to-eat foods (e.g., deli meats), a few listeriosis outbreaks have been linked to consumption of contaminated vegetables. In this study, we assessed four isolates representing the major Listeria monocytogenes lineages for their abilities to attach to and grow on Arabidopsis thaliana, a well-characterized plant model. When plants were dipped for 5 min into 3 ml of water containing 8.8 log CFU of L. monocytogenes and rinsed repeatedly, L. monocytogenes was recovered from the leaves at densities from 1.52 to 2.17 log CFU/cm2. Ten days after exposure, bacterial numbers had increased over initial numbers by 2.60-2.95 log CFU/cm2. Using L. monocytogenes expressing GFP, bacteria were visualized in the intercellular spaces of A. thaliana leaves, suggesting internalization through stomata. These data indicate that L. monocytogenes can rapidly attach to and multiply on plant surfaces and colonize intercellular spaces in A. thaliana leaves where it may be protected from sanitation treatments. When A. thaliana seeds were exposed to L. monocytogenes, between 4.23 and 4.57 log CFU/cm2 were recovered from leaves 7 days post-germination, suggesting that contaminated seeds can produce contaminated plants. Overall, our study demonstrates that prevention of L. monocytogenes contamination of plants throughout growing stages is critical, consistent with recommendations for other produce-transmitted foodborne pathogens.