| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3377671 | Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection | 2016 | 7 Pages |
BackgroundListeria monocytogenes (LM) is an important zoonotic foodborne pathogen. Noncoding RNA (ncRNA) has an important role in regulating its virulence. As a member of ncRNA, however, the function of Rli60 in regulating LM virulence remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Rli60 in regulating LM virulence.MethodsUsing a homologous recombination method, a LM EGD-e rli60 gene deletion strain (LM-Δrli60) was constructed and compared with a LM EGD-e strain in the following respects: (1) adhesiveness, invasion ability, intracellular survival, proliferation, and transcription of virulence genes in the mouse macrophage cell line RAW264.7; (2) 50% lethal dose (LD50) to the BALB/c mouse; and (3) the amount in the mouse liver and spleen and the effects on pathology of mouse liver, spleen, and kidney after inoculation.ResultsThe LM-Δrli60 strain had a significantly higher adhesion rate and lower invasion rate with significantly lower intracellular survival and proliferation rates in the RAW264.7 cell line, compared to the LM EGD-e strain. Inoculation with LM-Δrli60 strain significantly affected the transcription of virulence genes. The LD50 of LM-Δrli60 to BALB/c mouse was increased by 2.12 logarithmic magnitude, which indicated that the virulence in LM-Δrli60 is significantly decreased (p < 0.05). The amount of LM-Δrli60 in the liver and spleen was significantly lower than the amount of LM EGD-e in these organs (p < 0.05). The pathological damage due to LM-Δrli60 infection in the mouse liver, spleen, and kidney was lower than the damage due to LM EGD-e infection.ConclusionThis study confirmed that the rli60 deletion could significantly affect LM virulence, adhesion, invasion, survival, and proliferation. This suggests that Rli60 has an important role in regulating LM virulence.
