The Gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes can actively induce its own uptake by epithelial cells and fibroblasts through a surface-exposed 80 kDa protein, internalin (InlA), encoded by inlA. We studied the distribution and the DNA polymorphism of inlA sequences in a wide variety of wild strains of L. monocytogenes as compared to other Listeria species. This was done by PCR-amplifying inlA sequences encoding the fifteen repeats A and the three repeats B of InlA. inlA-repeated sequences were only found in L. monocytogenes. The amplified fragment of inlA encoding the repeats A displayed an AluI DNA polymorphism which arises from point mutations. These results indicate that inlA required for cell invasion is specific to L. monocytogenes and that the intragenic repeats only exhibit a genetic heterogeneity due to point mutations and not to recombinations.
BilleJ.1990; Epidemiology of human listeriosis in Europe, with special reference to the Swiss outbreak. Foodborne Listeriosis71–74 Edited by MillerA. J., SmithJ. L., SomkutiG. A. New York: Society for Industrial Microbiology/Elsevier Science Publishing;
CarbonnelleB., CottinJ., ParveryF., ChambreuilG., KouyoumdhanS., Le LirzinM., CordierG., VincentT.1978; Epidemie de listeriose dans l'ouest de la France (1975-1976). Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique 26:451–467
ElsinghorstE. A., BaronL. S., KopeckoD. J.1989; Penetration of human intestinal epithelial cells by Salmonella: molecular cloning and expression of Salmonella typhi invasion determinants in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86:5173–5177
FlemingD. W., CochiS.L., MacDonaldK.L., BrondumJ., HayesP. S., PlikaytisB. D., HolmesM. B., AudurierA., BroomeC., ReingoldA. L.1985; Pasteurized milk as a vehicle of infection in an outbreak of listeriosis. New Engl J Med 312:404–407
GaillardJ.L., BercheP., SansonettiP.1986; Transposon mutagenesis as a tool to study the role of hemolysin in the virulence of Listeria monocytogenes. Infect Immun 52:50–55
GaillardJ.-L., BercheP., MounierJ., RichardS., SansonettiP.1987; In vitro model of penetration and intracellular growth of Listeria monocytogenes in the human enterocyte-like cell line Caco-2. Infect Immun 55:2822–2829
GaillardJ.-L., BercheP., FrehelC., GouinE., CossartP.1991; Entry of L. monocytogenes into cells is mediated by internalin, a repeat protein reminiscent of surface antigens from gram-positive cocci. Cell 65:1127–1141
GalanJ. E., CurtissR.III1989; Cloning and molecular characterization of genes whose products allow Salmonella typhi-murium to penetrate tissue culture cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86:6383–6387
HaanesE. J., GearyP. P.1989; Identification of a divergent M protein gene and an M protein-related gene family in Streptococcus pyogenes serotype 49. J Bacteriol 171:6397–6408
HavellE. A.1986; Synthesis and secretion of interferon by murine fibroblasts in response to intracellular Listeria monocytogenes. Infect Immun 54:787–792
HollingsheadS. K., FischettiV. A., ScottJ. R.1986; Complete nucleotide sequence of type 6 M protein of the group A streptococcus : repetitive structure and membrane anchor. J Biol Chem 261:1677–1686
IsbergR. R., LeongJ. M.1990; Multiple β1 chain integrins are receptors for invasin, a protein that promotes bacterial penetration into mammalian cells. Cell 60:861–871
IsbergR. R., VoorhisD. L., FalkowS.1987; Identification of invasin: a protein that allows enteric bacteria to penetrate cultured mammalian cells. Cell 50:769–778
JonesK. F., HollingsheadS. K., ScottJ. R., FischettiV. A.1988; Spontaneous M6 protein size mutants of group A streptococci display variation in antigenic and opsonogenic epitopes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:8271–8275
RaczP., TennerK., MeroE.1972; Experimental Listeria enteritis. I. An electron microscopic study of the epithelial phase in experimental Listeria infection. Lab Invest Meth Cell Biol 26:694–700
SchlechV. F., LavigneP. M., BortolussiR. A., AllenA.C., HaldaneE. V., WortA. J., HightowerA. W., JohnsonS. E., KingS. H., NichollsE. S., BroomeC. V.1983; Epidemic listeriosis - evidence for transmission by food. N Engl J Med 308:203–206
TabouretM., RyckeJ., AndurierA., PoutrelB.1991; Pathogenicity of Listeria monocytogenes isolates in immunocompromised mice in relation to listeriolysin production. J Med Microbiol 34:13–18