A New Perspective on Listeria monocytogenes Evolution
2008

Evolution of Listeria monocytogenes

Sample size: 360 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Marie Ragon, Thierry Wirth, Florian Hollandt, Rachel Lavenir, Marc Lecuit, Alban Le Monnier, Sylvain Brisse

Primary Institution: Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

Hypothesis

What is the evolutionary history and genetic diversity of Listeria monocytogenes strains?

Conclusion

The study provides a comprehensive phylogenetic framework for understanding the evolution and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes.

Supporting Evidence

  • Homologous recombination was extremely limited, indicating long-term genetic stability.
  • Fifty-eight of the 126 sequence types were grouped into seven clonal complexes.
  • Serotype 4b evolved once from the ancestral serotype 1/2b.

Takeaway

Scientists studied a lot of Listeria bacteria to see how they change over time and how some become less harmful.

Methodology

The study used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to analyze 360 Listeria monocytogenes isolates.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the limited geographic scope of the sample collection.

Limitations

The study primarily focused on isolates from France, which may not represent global diversity.

Participant Demographics

The isolates included clinical, environmental, and food sources.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.ppat.1000146

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