• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2018

Monitoring of Listeria monocytogenes, the causative agent of listeriosis, in food is inportant for public health. The Korean Food Standards Codex has adopted a 'zero-tolerance' policy for L. monocytogenes. The standard detection method of L. monocytogenes is based on enrichment. Thus, proper enrichment methods need to be instituted to ensure quality control of the detection procedures. In this study, the growth of L. monocytogenes and Listeria innocua as a mixed culture in Listeria enrichment broth (LEB) was monitored during artificial contamination of enrichment culture. We confirmed competitive growth or interspecies inhibitory activity of L. monocytogenes and L. innocua. Interspecies growth differences and the inhibitory activity of different inoculation and mixtures L. innocua against L. monocytogenes were examined. The concentration of L. monocytogenes must be 2.0 log CFU/mL or more than L. innocua to grow better than L. innocua. It is known that Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes show growth difference during LEB, resulting in the risk of false-negative results. The inhibition of L. monocytogenes by L. innocua was always observed when present at lower concentrations. However, it was confirmed that L. innocua suppressed when L. monocytogenes was present at a higher concentration. Therefore if a mixture of Listeria spp. is present, detecting L. monocytogenes is difficult. Thus, a new enrichment broth to improve the detection rate of L. monocytogenes is needed.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.359-367
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• 2005

This study was carried out to understand the contamination patterns of Listeria in pork processing plants. A total of 402 samples were collected from carcass, pork during processing, surfaces of equipment and environment, and 238 isolates of Listeria species were identified. L. innocua was found in 64.7% of the isolates, L. monocytogenes in 33.2%, and L. welshimeri in 2.1%. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis performed to investigate the origin and routes of Listeria contamination, showed 21 composite types of L. monocytogenes and 26 composite types of L. innocua. It was confirmed that Listeria contamination begins with contaminated incoming carcass and ever-present contaminants in the processing environments. The persistence and dissemination of the same strain of L. monocytogenes and L. innocua throughout the processing line revealed that the sanitation standard operating procedure should be implemented to minimize the risk of colonization in the workplace. Molecular subtyping of L. innocua allowed us to tracing the possibility of cross-contamination during processing.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.390-399
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• 2003

Four species of the genus of Listeria were isolated from seawater and sea food in Kyungnam province, South Korea. These isolated strains were classified into Listeria sp. from different samples by appropriate cultivation conditions and biochemical tests including serological test. In a day enrichment cultivation, the following strains were found out of 100 samples: L. innocua (35%), L. ivanovii (4%), L. monocytogenes (4%), and L. welshimeri (1%). For seven days enrichment culture, L. innocua (38%), L. ivanoii (5%), L. monocytogenes (7%), and L. welshimeri (1%) were isolated. From these results, Listeria species were more efficiently isolated in seven day enrichment broth than in one day enrichment. However, these isolated Listeria species were less grown in the selective medium than in the enrichment medium. Isolation rates of Listeria species showed differency for each sample and Listeria species were more abundantly isolated in shrimps (80%) and crayfishes (80%) than little neck clams (50%), seawater (25%) and mussels (20%). From the results of serological classes for the seven L. monocytogenes, two strains were defined as type I and the other five strains as type IV.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.255-259
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• 2007

The effects of temperature heating-up rate and pressure building-up phase on the inactivation of Listeria innocua ATCC 33090 were evaluated in buffered peptone water. The number of L. innocua was reduced by 5.57 and 6.52 log CFU/mL during the nonisothermal treatment (the come-up time followed by isothermal process) and the isothermal treatment, respectively, at $60^{\circ}C$. When compared to the isothermal treatment (0.76$33.2^{\circ}C/min$ of temperature heating-rate. The effect of the combined high pressure and thermal processing on the inactivation of L. innocua increased with increasing pressure and temperature. At all temperature levels from 40 to $60^{\circ}C$ under 700 MPa, L. innocua was not detected by enrichment culture (>7 log reduction).

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2005

We surveyed the distribution of Listeria spp in intestinal contents of slaughtered cattle from Daegu between March and October 2003. Fourteen Listeria spp were isolated from a total of 100 samples. Two samples contained only L innocua and other six samples contained both L monocytogenes and L innocua. Of the 99 samples positive to esculin reaction in Fraser broth, Listeria spp were isolated only from $8\%$ of the samples. Three selective plating medium were examined for detection of Listeria species including Enhanced hemolysis agar, Oxford agar and Palcam agar, It was found that Enhanced hemolysis agar was more effective than Oxford agar and Palcam agar, and that L monocytogenes needed 48 hour growth to give positive reaction.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.231-237
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• 2003

Listeria (L.) monocytogenes in samples could not be detected occasioally by faster growth of other Listeria spp. especially L. innocua. The aim of this study was to develop the differential media and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the rapid detection of L. monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes colonies were characterized by their ${\beta}$-hemolysis with fluorescence under 366 nm UV light on the Listeria hemolysis agar (LHA). L. innocua, a species commonly present in foods, did not produce ${\beta}$-hemolysis on LHA. Therefore, one or more colonies of L. monocytogenes were easily distinguished from large populations of L. innocua. The multiplex PCR assays were developed to distinguish from L. monocytogenes and other Listeria spp. with two pairs of primers. The primers were designed in 16S rRNA and listeriolysin O gene for specific amplification of all members of the genus Listeria and L. monocytogenes, respectively. The multiplex PCR assays produced 560 and 938 bp products in L. monocytogenes; only 938 bp products in the genus Listeria. The multiplex PCR assays could detect as little as 50 pg of L monocytogenes DNA. These results indicated that the differential media and multiplex PCR assays might be useful diagnostic tools for the rapid detection of L. monocytogenes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.515-519
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• 2004

Listeria spp. were isolated from a total of 402 naturally contaminated domestic ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable samples by the conventional Food and Drug Administration protocol and confinned by API-Listeria kit. Also, the susceptibility to 12 antibiotics, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for virulence gene of pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes isolates, and in vitro virulence assay using myeloma and hybridoma cells from murine and human sources were tested. Among the samples, 17 samples (4.2％) were found to be contaminated with Listeria species. Among the 17 strains of Listeria spp. isolates, only 2 strains (11.8％) of L. monocytogenes and 15 strains (88.2％) of L. innocua were identified. Antibiotic susceptibility test showed that the Listeria spp. isolates were very susceptible to the antibiotics tested, except for nalidixic acid. Among 17 strains of Listeria spp., PCR analysis showed that 2 strains of L. monocytogenes isolates proved to have a virulence hly gene, but none of L. innocua had the hly gene. Also, hybridoma Ped-2E9 cells assay showed that only L. monocytogenes isolates killed approximately 95-99％ hybridoma cells after 6 h, but L. innocua isolates had about 0-5％ lethal effect. These results indicate that PCR assay with hly primer or hybridoma Ped-2E9 cells assay could be used as a good monitoring tool or in vitro virulence test for L. monocytogenes.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.79-86
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• 2002

Listeria spp. were isolated from the samples submitted from various seafood plants such as raw materials, products, swab samples of plants floor and conveyor belts through the whole processing procedures. All the samples were collected from 3 kinds of seafood plants such as a imitation crab meat plant, jeotgal plant and frozen seafood plant. And also serotypes of the identified L. monocytogenes were determined. Among the 301 strains of isolated Llsteria spp., 96 strains, 179 strains and 26 strains were identified as L. monocytogenes, L. innocua and L. welshimeri, respectively. While among the 145 strains of Listeria spp. isolated from the imitation crab meat plant, $74\;(51.0\%)$ strains, $64\;(44.1\%)$ strains and $7\;(4.8\%)$ strains were identified as L. monocytogenes, L. innocua and L. welshimeri, respectively. In the case of the 126 strains of Listeria spp. isolated from the frozen seafood plant, $22\;(17.5\%)$ strains of L. monocytogenes,$93\;(73.8\%)$ strains of L. innocua, and $11\;(8.5\%)$ strains of L. wdshimeri were detected. Among the 30 strains isolated from a jeotgal plant, $22\;(73.3\%)$ strains of L. innocua and $8\;(26.7\%)$ strains of L. welshimeri were detected. The detection rates of L. monocytogenes, one of the very important food poisoning bacteria especially in frozen and/or refrigerated seafoods, were relatively high as $77.1\%$ (74/96 strains) in a imitation crab meat plant and $22.9\%$ (22/96 strains) in a frozen seafood plant, but not detected from jeotgal plant. Distribution of L. monocytogenes serotypes and characterization were examined. The serotypes of 96 L. monocytogenes isolated from pork skin, pork fat, the floor and conveyor belts were 1/2a $(59.4\%)$, l/2b $(6.2\%)$, 1/2c $(12.5\%)$ and unknown serotypes $(21.9\%)$. Unknown serotypes were divided into three specific groups by the O antigen they have.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 1996

The distribution of Listeria spp. in various foods and its fatty acid composition were examined. A total 60 samples of dairy products(15), seafoods(20), meat products(18), factory waster(2), and salades(5) were tested. Listeria spp. was found 10 samples, showing about 16.7% detection ratio; dairy products 0(0%),,seafoods 1(5%), meat product 7(38.9%), and factory wastes 2(100%). Whereas L. welshimeri was isolated from meat products 1(5.6%) and factory wastes 1(50%). The cellular fatty acid composition determined by gas chromatography was found not to differ among L. innocua isolated from food has similar fatty acid profiles when grown at 3$0^{\circ}C$,24 hrs on the tryptic soy plate with C15 and C17 anteiso branched acids accounting for about 80% of total.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.238-249
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• 2009

The genus Listeria consists of six closely related species and forms three phylogenetic groups: L. monocytogenes-L. innocua, L. ivanovii-L. seeligeri-L. welshimeri, and L. grayi. In this report, we attempted to examine the evolutionary relationship in the L. monocytogenes-L. innocua group by probing the nucleotide sequences of 23S rRNA and 16S rRNA, and the gene clusters lmo0029-lmo0042, ascB-dapE, rplS-infC, and prs-ldh in L. monocytogenes serovars 1/2a, 4a, and 4b, and L. innocua. Additionally, we assessed the status of L. monocytogenes-specific inlA and inlB genes and 10 L. innocua-specific genes in these species/serovars, together with phenotypic characterization by using in vivo and in vitro procedures. The results indicate that L. monocytogenes serovar 4a strains are genetically similar to L. innocua in the lmo0035-lmo0042, ascB-dapE, and rplS-infC regions and also possess L. innocua-specific genes lin0372 and lin1073. Furthermore, both L. monocytogenes serovar 4a and L. innocua exhibit impaired intercellular spread ability and negligible pathogenicity in mouse model. On the other hand, despite resembling L. monocytogenes serovars 1/2a and 4b in having a nearly identical virulence gene cluster, and inlA and inlB genes, these serovar 4a strains differ from serovars 1/2a and 4b by harboring notably altered actA and plcB genes, displaying strong phospholipase activity and subdued in vivo and in vitro virulence. Thus, by possessing many genes common to L. monocytogenes serovars 1/2a and 4b, and sharing many similar gene deletions with L. innocua, L. monocytogenes serovar 4a represents a possible evolutionary intermediate between L. monocytogenes serovars 1/2a and 4b and L. innocua.