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Relationship between variations in pathogenicity and lag phase at 37°C of Listeria monocytogenes previously stored at 4°C
Author(s) -
Buncic S.,
Avery S.M.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-765x.1996.tb00020.x
Subject(s) - listeria monocytogenes , pathogenicity , strain (injury) , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , listeria , bacteria , virulence , sodium , chemistry , biochemistry , anatomy , genetics , organic chemistry , gene
s. BUNCIC AND S.M. AVERY. 1996. Three haemolytic, pathogenic strains of Listeria monocytogenes (a reference strain, a food‐derived strain and a human strain) were held at 4°C for 4 weeks in phosphate‐buffered saline pH 5.5 or 7.0, with and without 0.2% potassium sorbate or 0.3% sodium acetate. The number of viable cells did not change significantly during this storage. Pathogenicity of non‐growing L. monocytogenes cells for 14‐d‐old chick embryos was determined before and after storage. Storage at 4°C resulted in decreased pathogenicity, but effects were strain‐, pH‐ and substrate‐dependent. After 4 weeks storage at 4°C non‐growing bacterial cells were transferred to Brain Heart Infusion broth and growth characteristics were determined during incubation at 37°C. Strains that showed decreased pathogenicity had significantly longer lag phases at 37°C than strains that maintained pathogenicity. It is concluded that decreased pathogenicity of L. monocytogenes stored without growth at 4°C for 4 weeks and subsequent long lag phase at 37°C are correlated.