Biofilm formation ability of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from raw ready-to-eat seafood

J Food Prot. 2009 Jul;72(7):1476-80. doi: 10.4315/0362-028x-72.7.1476.

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is of great concern as a foodborne pathogen. Many ready-to-eat foods are widely contaminated with this organism and have caused listeriosis outbreaks and sporadic cases in many countries. In Japan, there is a high incidence of L. monocytogenes contamination, specifically in raw ready-to-eat seafood. Identical L. monocytogenes subtypes have been isolated repeatedly from samples of food manufactured at a given store or processing plant, and researchers suspected that certain L. monocytogenes isolates have formed biofilms at these sites. A microtiter plate biofilm formation assay was conducted, and all raw ready-to-eat seafood isolates tested were able to form biofilms to various degrees. Biofilm formation by L. monocytogenes isolates of lineage I was significantly greater (P = 0.000) than that by isolates of lineage II. However, isolates of clonal lineages formed different levels of biofilms, indicating that the ability to form a biofilm is affected positively or negatively by environmental factors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Adhesion / physiology
  • Biofilms / growth & development*
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods
  • Fishes / microbiology*
  • Food Contamination / analysis*
  • Food Microbiology
  • Food-Processing Industry* / standards
  • Japan
  • Listeria monocytogenes / classification
  • Listeria monocytogenes / physiology*
  • Seafood / microbiology*