ABSTRACT: The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes experiences osmotic stress in many habitats, including foods and the gastrointestinal tract of the host. While osmotic stress induced changes in expression have been investigated for specific genes, identifying and understanding genome-wide temporal changes in the transcriptome due to salt stress will provide insights into how this pathogen adapts to and survives this stress, leading to development of new intervention strategies. To determine the short-term and long-term responses to salt stress, we exposed exponential phase cells of L. monocytogenes H7858 to 6% NaCl in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth at 7°C and 37°C and extracted RNA after 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 20% of lag phase and during exponential growth in BHI + 6% NaCl, and evaluated temporal changes in transcript levels with microarrays. The temperature dependent short-term response to salt stress included a significant increase in transcript levels of the alternative sigma factor σB, with maximum expression at 2.5-5% of lag phase at 37°C, and at 20% of lag phase at 7°C. Transcript levels of genes known to be regulated by σB, including inlAB, opuCA, glpFK, and gadBC, were significantly upregulated at the same relative time points as σB As indicated by significantly elevated transcript levels during exponential growth in BHI + 6% NaCl, genes encoding proteins involved in purine and pyrimidine synthesis and amino acid biosynthesis are part of the long-term response to salt stress at 37°C. Transcript levels of virulence genes plcA, mpl, actA, and plcB were also significantly upregulated during exponential growth under salt stress at 37°C. Genes encoding proteins involved in protein degradation and stability and cell membrane modifications are part of the long-term response to salt stress at 7°C. Overall, an initial alteration in the transcriptome occurs, decreasing transcript levels of genes encoding proteins involved in energy conversion and metabolism, while increasing transcript levels of those involved in the stress response controlled by σB, followed by a long-term response, including increased expression of genes encoding compatible solute transporters and general stress proteins, facilitating growth under salt stress.
