Recent advances in understanding Listeria monocytogenes infection: the importance of subcellular and physiological context

Abstract

The bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes ( Lm) is the causative agent of listeriosis, a rare but fatal foodborne disease. During infection, Lm can traverse several host barriers and enter the cytosol of a variety of cell types. Thus, consideration of the extracellular and intracellular niches of Lm is critical for understanding the infection process. Here, we review advances in our understanding of Lm infection and highlight how the interactions between the host and the pathogen are context dependent. We discuss discoveries of how Lm senses entry into the host cell cytosol. We present findings concerning how the nature of the various cytoskeleton components subverted by Lm changes depending on both the stage of infection and the subcellular context. We present discoveries of critical components required for Lm traversal of physiological barriers. Interactions between the host gut microbiota and Lm will be briefly discussed. Finally, the importance of Lm biodiversity and post-genomics approaches as a promising way to discover novel virulence factors will be highlighted.

A Human 2D Primary Organoid-Derived Epithelial Monolayer Model to Study Host-Pathogen Interaction in the Small Intestine

“…We noted the presence of multiple bacteria intracellularly in a single cell which can be caused by multiple invading events or by intracellular replication of the bacteria, as shown previously in Caco-2 cells (Kanki et al, 2018). Upon cell invasion, L. monocytogenes can alter host cell actin distribution (Kuhbacher et al, 2015;David and Cossart, 2017;Radoshevich and Cossart, 2018), which was observed in our study by a lower abundance of actin in the brush border of infected cells. Additionally, a remarkable difference in bacterial translocation between proximal and distal monolayer cultures was observed, with a higher microbial translocation through distal epithelium.…”

Human mast cells exhibit an individualized pattern of antimicrobial responses

“…The rapid and robust release of DNA observed may serve MCs, which display low phagocytic capacity, 34,35 the ability to inhibit bacterial multiplication alongside MC degranulation together with chemokine and cytokine secretion which is vital in driving neutrophil recruitment during L. monocytogenes infection, as suggested by Gekara and Weiss. 36 In our study, we confirmed that L. monocytogenes is killed by hMCs, while promoting hMC degranulation and the release of IL-8 and MCP-1, thus supporting the role of MC in the inflammatory process of cellular recruitment and bacterial clearance.…”

Macrophage–Microbe Interactions: Lessons from the Zebrafish Model

“…Listeria monocytogenes , a Gram-positive foodborne pathogen, can cause listeriosis and meningitis in immunocompromised individuals, and spontaneous abortions during pregnancy ( 59 , 60 ). Inside macrophages, L. monocytogenes can escape from the phagosome and proliferate in the cytosol (Figure 1 B) ( 61 ).…”