Research of virulence genes in strains of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua originated from environment and food

• Grant number: 10/13511-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Maria Helena Matte
• Grantee: Luisa Zanolli Moreno
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is a zoonotic agent transmitted mainly by food and can be lethal in outbreaks. Among the sources of infection, stands out dairy products, meat and the environments of food processing industry. In the last decade, there have been detected strains of L. monocytogenes and L. innocua in food and environment, characterized with low to high virulence to eukaryotic cells due to mutations in the virulence genes. This new scenario, with changes in the virulence of both species, and the report of a fatal case of human listeriosis caused by atypical L. innocua demand attention because they present greater risk to the health of the population exposed to these environments and food and, therefore, it is an important public health issue. Thus, this study aims to search for virulence genes in strains of L. monocytogenes and L. innocua isolated in points of the pork production chain in Sao Paulo, which have high genetic similarity with strains of human infection. Among the studied strains, stands out the isolates from L. monocytogenes with atypical hemolytic activity and the strains of L. innocua with positive PCR for a specific virulence gene of L. monocytogenes. The detection of the genes will be performed through PCR reactions and its confirmation, mapping and analysis by sequencing. Therefore, it will be possible to identify and compare the genetic mechanisms of virulence of the isolates with those already described in the literature and discuss the implication of these new insights to the epidemiology of listeriosis and its importance to public health.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MORENO, LUISA ZANOLLI; PAIXAO, RENATA; SENA DE GOBBI, DEBORA DIRANI; RAIMUNDO, DANIELE CRISTINE; PORFIDA FERREIRA, THAIS SEBASTIANA; MORENO, ANDREA MICKE; HOFER, ERNESTO; FALAVINA DOS REIS, CRISTHIANE MOURA; MATTE, GLAVUR ROGERIO; MATTE, MARIA HELENA. Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Atypical Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua Isolated from Swine Slaughterhouses and Meat Markets. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, 2014. (10/13511-5, 10/19005-4)

MORENO, LUISA ZANOLLI; PAIXAO, RENATA; SENA DE GOBBI, DEBORA DIRANI; RAIMUNDO, DANIELE CRISTINE; PORFIDA FERREIRA, THAIS SEBASTIANA; MORENO, ANDREA MICKE; HOFER, ERNESTO; FALAVINA DOS REIS, CRISTHIANE MOURA; MATTE, GLAVUR ROGERIO; MATTE, MARIA HELENA. Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Atypical Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua Isolated from Swine Slaughterhouses and Meat Markets. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, v. 2014, p. 12-pg., 2014-01-01. (10/13511-5, 10/19005-4)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

MORENO, Luisa Zanolli. Research of virulence genes in strains of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua originated from pork and slaughterhouse and meat market environment. 2013. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP/CIR) São Paulo.