Free Fatty Acids Interfere with the DNA Binding Activity of the Virulence Regulator PrfA of Listeria monocytogenes.

ABSTRACT: Naturally occurring free fatty acids (FFAs) are recognized as potent antimicrobial agents that also affect the production of virulence factors in bacterial pathogens. In the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, some medium- and long-chain FFAs act as antimicrobial agents as well as signaling compounds, causing a repression of transcription of virulence genes. We previously observed that the master virulence regulator PrfA is involved in both the antimicrobial and virulence-inhibitory response of L. monocytogenes to selected FFAs, but the underlying mechanisms are presently unknown. Here, we present a systematic analysis of the antimicrobial and PrfA-inhibitory activities of medium- and long-chain FFAs of various carbon chain lengths and degrees of saturation. We observed that exposur

SUBMITTER: Dos Santos PT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7348547 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature