Intraspecific phylogeny and lineage group identification based on the prfA virulence gene cluster of Listeria monocytogenes.

ABSTRACT: Listeria monocytogenes is a serious food-borne pathogen that can cause invasive disease in humans and other animals and has been the leading cause of food recalls due to microbiological concerns in recent years. In order to test hypotheses regarding L. monocytogenes lineage composition, evolution, ecology, and taxonomy, a robust intraspecific phylogeny was developed based on prfA virulence gene cluster sequences from 113 L. monocytogenes isolates. The results of the multigene phylogenetic analyses confirm that L. monocytogenes comprises at least three evolutionary lineages, demonstrate that lineages most frequently (lineage 1) and least frequently (lineage 3) associated with human listeriosis are sister-groups, and reveal for the first time that the human epidemic associated serotype 4b is

SUBMITTER: Ward TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC451661 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature