The Host Response toListeria monocytogenesMutants Defective in Genes Encoding Phospholipases C(plcA, plcB)and Actin Assembly(actA)

Several genes involved in the determination of Listeria monocytogenes pathogenesis have been identified. Among them, plcA gene encodes phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), plcB gene encodes a broad-range phospholipase C (PC-PLC), and actA encodes a protein contributing to actin assembly in infected cells. The interaction of L. monocytogenes wild type (LO 28) strain and two derivative mutants, plcA- (BUG 206) and actA-/plcB- (LUT 12), with macrophages and T lymphocytes was investigated in a mouse model of listeriosis. Both mutants showed evidence of attenuation. The plcA- mutant, but not the plcB- mutant, expressed an increase in susceptibility to the anti-listerial activi…