This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lei, X. H. Articles by Kathariou, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lei, X. H. Articles by Kathariou, S. Agricola Articles by Lei, X. H. Articles by Kathariou, S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 03 1997, 1077-1082, Vol 63, No. 3
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

DNA fragments from regions involved in surface antigen expression specifically identify Listeria monocytogenes serovar 4 and a subset thereof: cluster IIB (serotypes 4b, 4d, and 4e)

XH Lei, N Promadej and S Kathariou
Department of Microbiology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822, USA.

Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b has frequently been implicated in sporadic as well as epidemic listeriosis. On the basis of pulsed-field fingerprinting, serotype 4b strains, along with strains of serotypes 4d and 4e, constitute one genomic cluster (IIB). We have identified two genomic regions essential for the expression of surface antigens which previously were shown to be specific to cluster IIB strains. A DNA probe of 1.1 kb derived from one of the regions (probe 1) hybridized only with strains of serotypes 4b, 4d, and 4e in Southern blots and dot blots. A different DNA probe of 0.3 kb (probe 2), derived from the other region, hybridized with all serovar 4 strains (serotypes 4b, 4a, 4c, 4d, and 4e). All other L. monocytogenes serotypes were negative with probe 1 or 2. Use of probe 1 in Southern blots of EcoRI-digested genomic DNA revealed a restriction fragment length polymorphism in serotype 4b strains, with the hybridizing EcoRI fragments being 4.5 kb (strains of the epidemic clone) and either 4.5 or 5.0 kb (all other serotype 4b strains). Although the probes hybridized with a special group of Listeria innocua strains which also expressed the surface antigens, the latter could be readily distinguished by the size of the hybridizing EcoRI fragment with probe 1 (ca. 2.2 kb). These data suggest that the combined use of these probes with L. monocytogenes can readily and specifically identify cluster IIB strains as well as the entire serovar 4 complex.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Ducey, T. F., Page, B., Usgaard, T., Borucki, M. K., Pupedis, K., Ward, T. J. (2007). A Single-Nucleotide-Polymorphism-Based Multilocus Genotyping Assay for Subtyping Lineage I Isolates of Listeria monocytogenes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 133-147 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tran, H. L., Kathariou, S. (2002). Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms Detected with Novel DNA Probes Differentiate among Diverse Lineages of Serogroup 4 Listeria monocytogenes and Identify Four Distinct Lineages in Serotype 4b. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 59-64 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lei, X.-H., Fiedler, F., Lan, Z., Kathariou, S. (2001). A Novel Serotype-Specific Gene Cassette (gltA-gltB) Is Required for Expression of Teichoic Acid-Associated Surface Antigens in Listeria monocytogenes of Serotype 4b. J. Bacteriol. 183: 1133-1139 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lan, Z., Fiedler, F., Kathariou, S. (2000). A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing: Listeria innocua Strains with Teichoic Acid-Associated Surface Antigens and Genes Characteristic of Listeria monocytogenes Serogroup 4. J. Bacteriol. 182: 6161-6168 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Clark, E. E., Wesley, I., Fiedler, F., Promadej, N., Kathariou, S. (2000). Absence of Serotype-Specific Surface Antigen and Altered Teichoic Acid Glycosylation among Epidemic-Associated Strains of Listeria monocytogenes. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38: 3856-3859 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tran, H. L., Fiedler, F., Hodgson, D. A., Kathariou, S. (1999). Transposon-Induced Mutations in Two Loci of Listeria monocytogenes Serotype 1/2a Result in Phage Resistance and Lack of N-Acetylglucosamine in the Teichoic Acid of the Cell Wall. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 4793-4798 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Promadej, N., Fiedler, F., Cossart, P., Dramsi, S., Kathariou, S. (1999). Cell Wall Teichoic Acid Glycosylation in Listeria monocytogenes Serotype 4b Requires gtcA, a Novel, Serogroup-Specific Gene. J. Bacteriol. 181: 418-425 [Abstract] [Full Text]