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Listeria monocytogenes is an important food-borne pathogen and its bacteriophages are promising tools for its control in food and surfaces. Listeria bacteriophages belonging to the genus Pecentumvirus of the family Herelleviridae are strictly lytic, have a contractile tail and a large double stranded DNA genome (mean of 135.4 kb). We report the isolation and genome sequences of two new Pecentumvirus bacteriophages: vB_Lino_VEfB7 and vB_Liva_VAfA18. Twenty-one bacteriophages of this genus have been described and their genomes were used for the study of Pecentumvirus evolution. Analyses showed collinear genomes and gene gain and loss propensity and recombination events were distinctly found in two regions. A large potential recombination event (≈20 kB) was detected in P100 and vB_Liva_VAfA18. Phylogenetic analyses of multi-gene alignments showed that diversification events formed two groups of species distantly related., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Engineered bacteriophages provide powerful tools for biotechnology, diagnostics, pathogen control, and therapy. However, current techniques for phage editing are experimentally challenging and limited to few phages and host organisms. Viruses that target Gram-positive bacteria are particularly difficult to modify. Here, we present a platform technology that enables rapid, accurate, and selection-free construction of synthetic, tailor-made phages that infect Gram-positive bacteria. To this end, custom-designed, synthetic phage genomes were assembled in vitro from smaller DNA fragments. We show that replicating, cell wall-deficient Listeria monocytogenes L-form bacteria can reboot synthetic phage genomes upon transfection, i.e., produce virus particles from naked, synthetic DNA. Surprisingly, Listeria L-form cells not only support rebooting of native and synthetic Listeria phage genomes but also enable cross-genus reactivation of Bacillus and Staphylococcus phages from their DNA, thereby broadening the approach to phages that infect other important Gram-positive pathogens. We then used this platform to generate virulent phages by targeted modification of temperate phage genomes and demonstrated their superior killing efficacy. These synthetic, virulent phages were further armed by incorporation of enzybiotics into their genomes as a genetic payload, which allowed targeting of phage-resistant bystander cells. In conclusion, this straightforward and robust synthetic biology approach redefines the possibilities for the development of improved and completely new phage applications, including phage therapy., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement: The technology described in this manuscript is a pending patent.

To enable specific and tightly controlled gene expression both in vitro and during the intracellular lifecycle of the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, a TetR-dependent genetic induction system was developed. Highest concentration of cytoplasmic TetR and best repression of tetO-controlled genes was obtained by tetR expression from the synthetic promoter Pt 17 . Anhydrotetracycline (ATc) as inducer permitted concentration-dependent, fine-tuned expression of genes under control of the tetO operator and a suitable promoter. The actin-polymerizing ActA protein represents a major virulence factor of L. monocytogenes, required for actin-based motility and cell-to-cell spread in infected host cells. To be able to observe its spatial and temporal distribution on intracellular L. monocytogenes cells, conditional mutants featuring actA placed under TetR control were used to infect PtK2 epithelial cells. Following induction at different time intervals, the subsequent recruitment of actin by L. monocytogenes could be monitored. We found that cells displayed functional ActA after approximately 15 min, while formation of polarized actin tail was complete after 90-120 min. At this point, intracellular motility of the induced mutants was indistinguishable from wild-type bacteria. Interestingly, de novo ActA synthesis in intracellular Listeria also demonstrated the temporal, asymmetric redistribution of the membrane-anchored proteins from the lateral walls toward the cell poles., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Adsorption of a bacteriophage to the host requires recognition of a cell wall-associated receptor by a receptor binding protein (RBP). This recognition is specific, and high affinity binding is essential for efficient virus attachment. The molecular details of phage adsorption to the Gram-positive cell are poorly understood. We present the first description of receptor binding proteins and a tail tip structure for the siphovirus group infecting Listeria monocytogenes. The host-range determining factors in two phages, A118 and P35 specific for L. monocytogenes serovar 1/2 have been determined. Two proteins were identified as RBPs in phage A118. Rhamnose residues in wall teichoic acids represent the binding ligands for both proteins. In phage P35, protein gp16 could be identified as RBP and the role of both rhamnose and N-acetylglucosamine in phage adsorption was confirmed. Immunogold-labeling and transmission electron microscopy allowed the creation of a topological model of the A118 phage tail., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic food-borne pathogen and the causative agent of listeriosis in animals and humans. We present the genome sequence of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, a widely distributed and frequently used serovar 4b clinical isolate from the 1983 listeriosis outbreak in Massachusetts.

The gram-positive bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen of both public health and food safety significance. It possesses three small, highly homologous protein members of the cold shock protein (Csp) family. We used gene expression analysis and a set of mutants with single, double, and triple deletions of the csp genes to evaluate the roles of CspA, CspB, and CspD in the cold and osmotic (NaCl) stress adaptation responses of L. monocytogenes. All three Csps are dispensable for growth at optimal temperature (37 degrees C). These proteins are, however, required for efficient cold and osmotic stress tolerance of this bacterium. The hierarchies of their functional importance differ, depending on the environmental stress conditions: CspA>CspD>CspB in response to cold stress versus CspD>CspA/CspB in response to NaCl salt osmotic stress. The fact that Csps are promoting L. monocytogenes adaptation against both cold and NaCl stress has significant implications in view of practical food microbial control measures. The combined or sequential exposure of L. monocytogenes cells to these two stresses in food environments might inadvertently induce cross-protection responses.