Generation of variants in Listeria monocytogenes continuous-flow biofilms is dependent on radical-induced DNA damage and RecA-mediated repair

Biofilm formation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum food isolates under flow and resistance to disinfectant agents

Bacterial biofilms formed in food processing environments can be resilient against cleaning and disinfection causing recontamination and spoilage of foods. We investigated the biofilm formation of six Lactiplantibacillus plantarum food spoilage isolates (FBR1-FBR6) using WCFS1 as a reference strain, and examined the impact of benzalkonium chloride (BKC) and peracetic acid (PAA) on planktonic and biofilm cells formed under static and dynamic flow conditions. We used a custom-designed setup composed of a 48-well plate with 0.8 ml culture volumes. We quantified biofilm formation under static and dynamic flow conditions with a flow rate of 3.2 ml/h using plate counting, Crystal Violet (CV) staining, and fluorescence staining techniques. Our findings revealed significant differences in biofilm formation and disinfectant resistance among studied strains and cell types. We observed that flow promoted biofilm formation in some strains and increased the number of culturable cells within biofilms in all strains. Furthermore, biofilm cells demonstrated higher resistance to disinfectants in comparison to planktonic cells for certain strains. Interestingly, cells from dispersed under flow biofilms show higher resistance to disinfectants than cells from static biofilms. The results indicate the importance of flow conditions in influencing L. plantarum food isolates biofilm formation and disinfection resistance, which may have implications for product contamination and spoilage risks.

Impairment of Listeria monocytogenes biofilm developed on industrial surfaces by Latilactobacillus curvatus CRL1579 bacteriocin

The effect of lactocin AL705, bacteriocin produced by Latilactobacillus (Lat.) curvatus CRL1579 against Listeria biofilms on stainless steel (SS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coupons at 10 °C was investigated. L. monocytogenes FBUNT showed the greatest adhesion on both surfaces associated to the hydrophobicity of cell surface. Partially purified bacteriocin (800 UA/mL) effectively inhibited L. monocytogenes preformed biofilm through displacement strategy, reducing the pathogen by 5.54 ± 0.26 and 4.74 ± 0.05 log cycles at 3 and 6 days, respectively. The bacteriocin-producer decreased the pathogen biofilm by ∼2.84 log cycles. Control and Bac- treated samples reached cell counts of 7.05 ± 0.18 and 6.79 ± 0.06 log CFU/cm2 after 6 days of incubation. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM) allowed visualizing the inhibitory effect of lactocin AL705 on L. monocytogenes preformed biofilms under static and hydrodynamic flow conditions. A greater effect of the bacteriocin was found at 3 days independently of the surface matrix and pathogen growth conditions at 10 °C. As a more realistic approach, biofilm displacement strategy under continuous flow conditions showed a significant loss of biomass, mean thickness and substratum coverage of pathogen biofilm. These findings highlight the anti-biofilm capacity of lactocin AL705 and their potential application in food industries.

Recent advances on the formation, detection, resistance mechanism, and control technology of Listeria monocytogenes biofilm in food industry

Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis, a severe and fatal condition. Biofilms are communities of microorganisms nested within a self-secreted extracellular polymeric substance, and they protect L. monocytogenes from environmental stresses. Biofilms, once formed, can lead to the persistence of L. monocytogenes in processing equipment and are therefore considered to be a major concern for the food industry. This paper briefly introduces the recent advancements on biofilm formation characteristics and detection methods, and focuses on analysis of the mechanism of L. monocytogenes biofilm resistance; Moreover, this paper also summarizes and discusses the existing different techniques of L. monocytogenes biofilm control according to the physical, chemical, biological, and combined strategies, to provide a theoretical reference to aid the choice of effective control technology in the food industry.

Colonisation dynamics of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from food production environments

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous bacterium capable of colonising and persisting within food production environments (FPEs) for many years, even decades. This ability to colonise, survive and persist within the FPEs can result in food product cross-contamination, including vulnerable products such as ready to eat food items. Various environmental and genetic elements are purported to be involved, with the ability to form biofilms being an important factor. In this study we examined various mechanisms which can influence colonisation in FPEs. The ability of isolates (n = 52) to attach and grow in biofilm was assessed, distinguishing slower biofilm formers from isolates forming biofilm more rapidly. These isolates were further assessed to determine if growth rate, exopolymeric substance production and/or the agr signalling propeptide influenced these dynamics and could promote persistence in conditions reflective of FPE. Despite no strong association with the above factors to a rapid colonisation phenotype, the global transcriptome suggested transport, energy production and metabolism genes were widely upregulated during the initial colonisation stages under nutrient limited conditions. However, the upregulation of the metabolism systems varied between isolates supporting the idea that L. monocytogenes ability to colonise the FPEs is strain-specific.

Biofilm Formation by Listeria monocytogenes 15G01, a Persistent Isolate from a Seafood-Processing Plant, Is Influenced by Inactivation of Multiple Genes Belonging to Different Functional Groups

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous foodborne pathogen that results in a high rate of mortality in sensitive and immunocompromised people. Contamination of food with L. monocytogenes is thought to occur during food processing, most often as a result of the pathogen producing a biofilm that persists in the environment and acting as the source for subsequent dispersal of cells onto food. A survey of seafood-processing plants in New Zealand identified the persistent strain 15G01, which has a high capacity to form biofilms. In this study, a transposon library of L. monocytogenes 15G01 was screened for mutants with altered biofilm formation, assessed by a crystal violet assay, to identify genes involved in biofilm formation. This screen identified 36 transposants that showed a significant change in biofilm formation compared to the wild type. The insertion sites were in 27 genes, 20 of which led to decreased biofilm formation and seven to an increase. Two insertions were in intergenic regions. Annotation of the genes suggested that they are involved in diverse cellular processes, including stress response, autolysis, transporter systems, and cell wall/membrane synthesis. Analysis of the biofilms produced by the transposants using scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy showed notable differences in the structure of the biofilms compared to the wild type. In particular, inactivation of uvrB and mltD produced coccoid-shaped cells and elongated cells in long chains, respectively, and the mgtB mutant produced a unique biofilm with a sandwich structure which was reversed to the wild-type level upon magnesium addition. The mltD transposant was successfully complemented with the wild-type gene, whereas the phenotypes were not or only partially restored for the remaining mutants.IMPORTANCE The major source of contamination of food with Listeria monocytogenes is thought to be due to biofilm formation and/or persistence in food-processing plants. By establishing as a biofilm, L. monocytogenes cells become harder to eradicate due to their increased resistance to environmental threats. Understanding the genes involved in biofilm formation and their influence on biofilm structure will help identify new ways to eliminate harmful biofilms in food processing environments. To date, multiple genes have been identified as being involved in biofilm formation by L. monocytogenes; however, the exact mechanism remains unclear. This study identified four genes associated with biofilm formation by a persistent strain. Extensive microscopic analysis illustrated the effect of the disruption of mgtB, clsA, uvrB, and mltD and the influence of magnesium on the biofilm structure. The results strongly suggest an involvement in biofilm formation for the four genes and provide a basis for further studies to analyze gene regulation to assess the specific role of these biofilm-associated genes.

Effect of arsenite and growth in biofilm conditions on the evolution of Thiomonas sp. CB2

Thiomonas bacteria are ubiquitous at acid mine drainage sites and play key roles in the remediation of water at these locations by oxidizing arsenite to arsenate, favouring the sorption of arsenic by iron oxides and their coprecipitation. Understanding the adaptive capacities of these bacteria is crucial to revealing how they persist and remain active in such extreme conditions. Interestingly, it was previously observed that after exposure to arsenite, when grown in a biofilm, some strains of Thiomonas bacteria develop variants that are more resistant to arsenic. Here, we identified the mechanisms involved in the emergence of such variants in biofilms. We found that the percentage of variants generated increased in the presence of high concentrations of arsenite (5.33 mM), especially in the detached cells after growth under biofilm-forming conditions. Analysis of gene expression in the parent strain CB2 revealed that genes involved in DNA repair were upregulated in the conditions where variants were observed. Finally, we assessed the phenotypes and genomes of the subsequent variants generated to evaluate the number of mutations compared to the parent strain. We determined that multiple point mutations accumulated after exposure to arsenite when cells were grown under biofilm conditions. Some of these mutations were found in what is referred to as ICE19, a genomic island (GI) carrying arsenic-resistance genes, also harbouring characteristics of an integrative and conjugative element (ICE). The mutations likely favoured the excision and duplication of this GI. This research aids in understanding how Thiomonas bacteria adapt to highly toxic environments, and, more generally, provides a window to bacterial genome evolution in extreme environments.

The recA gene is crucial to mediate colonization of Bacillus cereus 905 on wheat roots

Bacillus cereus 905, one of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs), is capable of colonizing wheat roots in a large population size. From previous studies, we learned that the sodA2-encoding manganese-containing superoxide dismutase (MnSOD2) is important for B. cereus 905 to survive in wheat rhizosphere. In this investigation, we demonstrated that deletion of the recA gene, which codes for the recombinase A, significantly reduced MnSOD2 expression at both the mRNA and the protein levels. Through comparison with the wild-type, the ∆recA showed a dramatic decrease in cell survival after exposure to 50 μM paraquat or 15 mM H₂O₂. Evidence indicated that the recA gene of B. cereus 905 also notably regulated nutrition utilization efficiency, biofilm formation, and swarming motility. The root colonization examination showed that the ∆recA had a 1000- to 2500-fold reduction in colonization on wheat roots, suggesting that RecA plays an indispensable role in effective colonization on wheat roots by B. cereus 905. Taken together, the recA gene positively regulates MnSOD2 production and nutrition utilization and protects B. cereus 905 cells against paraquat and H₂O₂. Besides, biofilm formation and swarming motility of B. cereus 905 are promoted by RecA. Finally, RecA significantly contributes to wheat root colonization of B. cereus 905. Our results showed the important role of RecA during physiological processes in B. cereus 905, especially for colonization on wheat roots. Our findings will point out a research direction to study the colonization mechanisms of B. cereus 905 in the future and provide potential effective strategy to enhance the biocontrol efficacy of PGPR strains. KEY POINTS : • RecA plays an indispensable role in root colonization of B. cereus.

Biofilm formation of the L. monocytogenes strain 15G01 is influenced by changes in environmental conditions

Listeria monocytogenes 15G01, a strain belonging to the persistent pulsotype 5132, was isolated from a seafood processing plant in New Zealand. Simple monoculture assays using crystal violet staining showed good biofilm formation for this strain and it was therefore chosen to be further investigated in regard to its biofilm forming ability. To evaluate its behaviour in different conditions commonly encountered in food processing environments, biofilm assays and growth studies were performed using common laboratory media under a range of temperatures (20 °C, 30 °C and 37 °C). Furthermore, the effects of incubation time and different environmental conditions including static, dynamic and anaerobic incubation on biofilm formation were investigated. Changes in the environmental conditions resulted in different biofilm phenotypes of L. monocytogenes 15G01. We demonstrated that increasing temperature and incubation time led to a higher biofilm mass and that dynamic incubation has little effect on biofilm formation at 37 °C but encourages biofilm formation at 30 °C. Biofilm production at 20 °C was minimal regardless of the medium used. We furthermore observed that anaerobic environment led to reduced biofilm mass at 30 °C for all tested media but not at 37 °C. Biofilm formation could not be narrowed down to one factor but was rather dependent on multiple factors with temperature and medium having the biggest effects.

Fluorescence-based tools for single-cell approaches in food microbiology

The better understanding of the functioning of microbial communities is a challenging and crucial issue in the field of food microbiology, as it constitutes a prerequisite to the optimization of positive and technological microbial population functioning, as well as for the better control of pathogen contamination of food. Heterogeneity appears now as an intrinsic and multi-origin feature of microbial populations and is a major determinant of their beneficial or detrimental functional properties. The understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind the behavior of bacteria in microbial communities requires therefore observations at the single-cell level in order to overcome "averaging" effects inherent to traditional global approaches. Recent advances in the development of fluorescence-based approaches dedicated to single-cell analysis provide the opportunity to study microbial communities with an unprecedented level of resolution and to obtain detailed insights on the cell structure, metabolism activity, multicellular behavior and bacterial interactions in complex communities. These methods are now increasingly applied in the field of food microbiology in different areas ranging from research laboratories to industry. In this perspective, we reviewed the main fluorescence-based tools used for single-cell approaches and their concrete applications with specific focus on food microbiology.

Nfu facilitates the maturation of iron-sulfur proteins and participates in virulence in Staphylococcus aureus

The acquisition and metabolism of iron (Fe) by the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is critical for disease progression. S. aureus requires Fe to synthesize inorganic cofactors called iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters, which are required for functional Fe-S proteins. In this study we investigated the mechanisms utilized by S. aureus to metabolize Fe-S clusters. We identified that S. aureus utilizes the Suf biosynthetic system to synthesize Fe-S clusters and we provide genetic evidence suggesting that the sufU and sufB gene products are essential. Additional biochemical and genetic analyses identified Nfu as an Fe-S cluster carrier, which aids in the maturation of Fe-S proteins. We find that deletion of the nfu gene negatively impacts staphylococcal physiology and pathogenicity. A nfu mutant accumulates both increased intracellular non-incorporated Fe and endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in DNA damage. In addition, a strain lacking Nfu is sensitive to exogenously supplied ROS and reactive nitrogen species. Congruous with ex vivo findings, a nfu mutant strain is more susceptible to oxidative killing by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes and displays decreased tissue colonization in a murine model of infection. We conclude that Nfu is necessary for staphylococcal pathogenesis and establish Fe-S cluster metabolism as an attractive antimicrobial target.

Iron triggers λSo prophage induction and release of extracellular DNA in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 biofilms

Prophages are ubiquitous elements within bacterial chromosomes and affect host physiology and ecology in multiple ways. We have previously demonstrated that phage-induced lysis is required for extracellular DNA (eDNA) release and normal biofilm formation in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Here, we investigated the regulatory mechanisms of prophage λSo spatiotemporal induction in biofilms. To this end, we used a functional fluorescence fusion to monitor λSo activation in various mutant backgrounds and in response to different physiological conditions. λSo induction occurred mainly in a subpopulation of filamentous cells in a strictly RecA-dependent manner, implicating oxidative stress-induced DNA damage as the major trigger. Accordingly, mutants affected in the oxidative stress response (ΔoxyR) or iron homeostasis (Δfur) displayed drastically increased levels of phage induction and abnormal biofilm formation, while planktonic cells were not or only marginally affected. To further investigate the role of oxidative stress, we performed a mutant screen and identified two independent amino acid substitutions in OxyR (T104N and L197P) that suppress induction of λSo by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, λSo induction was not suppressed in biofilms formed by both mutants, suggesting a minor role of intracellular H2O2 in this process. In contrast, addition of iron to biofilms strongly enhanced λSo induction and eDNA release, while both processes were significantly suppressed at low iron levels, strongly indicating that iron is the limiting factor. We conclude that uptake of iron during biofilm formation triggers λSo-mediated lysis of a subpopulation of cells, likely by an increase in iron-mediated DNA damage sensed by RecA.

PrfA led to reduced biofilm formation and contributed to altered gene expression patterns in biofilm-forming Listeria monocytogenes

The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes has the ability to develop biofilm in the food-processing environment, which becomes a major concern for food safety. PrfA, a key transcriptional activator that regulates most of the known listerial virulence gene expression, has been shown to promote L. monocytogenes biofilm formation. In this study, the whole-genome microarray was used to identify differentially expressed genes associated with the putative interaction between biofilm formation and PrfA in L. monocytogenes. Comparative transcriptome analyses indicated that over 21.9 % of the L. monocytogenes EGDe genes (627 out of 2,857 predicted) were altered in their expression of biofilm compared to the planktonic phase. These genes were classified into different functional categories which cover most of the biochemical functions encountered in bacterial cells, indicating that L. monocytogenes biofilm formation is probably controlled by a complex regulation network involved in variable genes required for the different biological pathways. Further comparison of gene expression profiles of biofilms between L. monocytogenes EGDe and its PrfA deletion mutant revealed 185 genes associated with PrfA and biofilm formation. Except for 10 genes, transcription levels of 175 genes were completely opposite between ΔprfA and wild-type during the biofilm formation, i.e., up-regulated genes in ΔprfA were down-regulated in the wild-type strain, and vice versa, indicating that loss of PrfA dramatically altered gene expression patterns in L. monocytogenes biofilm and resulted in reduced ability of the biofilm formation.

Concentration-dependent activity of antibiotics in natural environments

Bacterial responses to antibiotics are concentration-dependent. At high concentrations, antibiotics exhibit antimicrobial activities on susceptible cells, while subinhibitory concentrations induce diverse biological responses in bacteria. At non-lethal concentrations, bacteria may sense antibiotics as extracellular chemicals to trigger different cellular responses, which may include an altered antibiotic resistance/tolerance profile. In natural settings, microbes are typically in polymicrobial communities and antibiotic-mediated interactions between species may play a significant role in bacterial community structure and function. However, these aspects have not yet fully been explored at the community level. Here we discuss the different types of interactions mediated by antibiotics and non-antibiotic metabolites as a function of their concentrations and speculate on how these may amplify the overall antibiotic resistance/tolerance and the spread of antibiotic resistance determinants in a context of polymicrobial community.

Reactive oxygen species in the signaling and adaptation of multicellular microbial communities

One of the universal traits of microorganisms is their ability to form multicellular structures, the cells of which differentiate and communicate via various signaling molecules. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), and hydrogen peroxide in particular, have recently become well-established signaling molecules in higher eukaryotes, but still little is known about the regulatory functions of ROS in microbial structures. Here we summarize current knowledge on the possible roles of ROS during the development of colonies and biofilms, representatives of microbial multicellularity. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae colonies, ROS are predicted to participate in regulatory events involved in the induction of ammonia signaling and later on in programmed cell death in the colony center. While the latter process seems to be induced by the total ROS, the former event is likely to be regulated by ROS-homeostasis, possibly H₂O₂-homeostasis between the cytosol and mitochondria. In Candida albicans biofilms, the predicted signaling role of ROS is linked with quorum sensing molecule farnesol that significantly affects biofilm formation. In bacterial biofilms, ROS induce genetic variability, promote cell death in specific biofilm regions, and possibly regulate biofilm development. Thus, the number of examples suggesting ROS as signaling molecules and effectors in the development of microbial multicellularity is rapidly increasing.