Carboxyl-terminal residues N478 and V479 required for the cytolytic activity of listeriolysin O play a critical role in Listeria monocytogenes pathogenicity

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen that secretes the cytolysin listeriolysin O (LLO), which enables the bacteria to cross the phagosomal membrane. L. monocytogenes regulates LLO activity in the phagosome and minimizes its activity in the host cytosol. Mutants that fail to compartmentalize LLO activity are cytotoxic and have attenuated virulence. Here, we showed that residues N478 and V479 of LLO are required for LLO hemolytic activity and bacterial virulence. A single N478A mutation (LLON478A) significantly increased the hemolytic activity of LLO at a neutral pH, while no difference was observed at the optimum acidic pH, compared with wild-type LLO. Conversely, the mutant LLOV479A exhibited lower hemolytic activity at the acidic pH, but not at the neutral pH. The double mutant LLON478AV479A showed a greater decrease in hemolytic activity at both the acidic and neutral pHs. Interestingly, strains producing LLON478A or LLOV479A lysed erythrocytes similarly to the wild-type strain. Surprisingly, bacteria-secreting LLON478AV479A had barely detectable hemolytic activity, but exhibited host cell cytotoxicity, escaped from the phagosome, grew intracellularly, and spread cell-to-cell with the same efficiency as the wild-type strain, but were highly attenuated in virulence in mice. These data demonstrate that these two residues are required for LLO hemolytic activity and pathogenicity in mice, but not for escape from the phagosome and cell-to-cell spreading. The finding that the nearly non-hemolytic LLON478AV479A mutant grew intracellularly indicates that mutagenesis of a virulence determinant is a novel approach for the development of live vaccine strains

Flagellar Basal Body Structural Proteins FlhB, FliM, and FliY Are Required for Flagellar-Associated Protein Expression in Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a food-associated bacterium that is responsible for food-related illnesses worldwide. In the L. monocytogenes EGD-e genome, FlhB, FliM, and FliY (encoded by lmo0679, lmo0699, and lmo0700, respectively) are annotated as putative flagella biosynthesis factors, but their functions remain unknown. To explore whether FlhB, FliM, and FliY are involved in Listeria flagella synthesis, we constructed flhB, fliM, fliY, and other flagellar-related gene deletion mutants using a homologous recombination strategy. Then, we analyzed the motility, flagella synthesis, and protein expression of these mutant strains. Motility and flagella synthesis were completely abolished in the absence of flhB, fliM, or fliY. These impaired phenotypes were fully restored in the complemented strains CΔflhB, CΔfliM, and CΔfliY. The transcriptional levels of flagellar-related genes, including flaA, fliM, fliY, lmo0695, lmo0698, fliI, and fliS, were downregulated markedly in the absence of flhB, fliM, or fliY. Deletion of flhB resulted in the complete abolishment of FlaA expression, while it decreased FliM and FliY expression. The expression of FlaA was abolished completely in the absence of fliM or fliY. No significant changes were found in the expression of FlhF and two flagella synthesis regulatory factors, MogR and GmaR. We demonstrate for the first time that FlhB, FliM, and FliY not only mediate Listeria motility, but also are involved in regulating flagella synthesis. This study provides novel insights that increase our understanding of the roles played by FlhB, FliM, and FliY in the flagellar type III secretion system in L. monocytogenes

Carboxyl-Terminal Residues N478 and V479 Required for the Cytolytic Activity of Listeriolysin O Play a Critical Role in Listeria monocytogenes Pathogenicity

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen that secretes the cytolysin listeriolysin O (LLO), which enables the bacteria to cross the phagosomal membrane. L. monocytogenes regulates LLO activity in the phagosome and minimizes its activity in the host cytosol. Mutants that fail to compartmentalize LLO activity are cytotoxic and have attenuated virulence. Here, we showed that residues N478 and V479 of LLO are required for LLO hemolytic activity and bacterial virulence. A single N478A mutation (LLON478A) significantly increased the hemolytic activity of LLO at a neutral pH, while no difference was observed at the optimum acidic pH, compared with wild-type LLO. Conversely, the mutant LLOV479A exhibited lower hemolytic activity at the acidic pH, but not at the neutral pH. The double mutant LLON478AV479A showed a greater decrease in hemolytic activity at both the acidic and neutral pHs. Interestingly, strains producing LLON478A or LLOV479A lysed erythrocytes similarly to the wild-type strain. Surprisingly, bacteria-secreting LLON478AV479A had barely detectable hemolytic activity, but exhibited host cell cytotoxicity, escaped from the phagosome, grew intracellularly, and spread cell-to-cell with the same efficiency as the wild-type strain, but were highly attenuated in virulence in mice. These data demonstrate that these two residues are required for LLO hemolytic activity and pathogenicity in mice, but not for escape from the phagosome and cell-to-cell spreading. The finding that the nearly non-hemolytic LLON478AV479A mutant grew intracellularly indicates that mutagenesis of a virulence determinant is a novel approach for the development of live vaccine strains