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Infection and Immunity, February 2006, p. 876-886, Vol. 74, No. 2
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.74.2.876-886.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Sigma B Contributes to Listeria monocytogenes Gastrointestinal Infection but Not to Systemic Spread in the Guinea Pig Infection Model

M. R. Garner,1 B. L. Njaa,2 M. Wiedmann,1 and K. J. Boor1*

Department of Food Science,1 Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 148532

Received 19 August 2005/ Returned for modification 29 September 2005/ Accepted 8 November 2005

Contributions of the alternative sigma factor {sigma}B to Listeria monocytogenes infection were investigated using strains bearing null mutations in sigB, prfA, or inlA or in selected inlA or prfA promoter regions. The {Delta}P4inlA strain, which has a deletion in the {sigma}B-dependent P4inlA promoter, and the {Delta}sigB strain had significantly reduced invasion efficiencies relative to that of the wild-type strain in the Caco-2 human colorectal epithelial cell line, while the invasion efficiency of a strain bearing a deletion in the partially {sigma}B dependent P2prfA promoter region did not differ from that of the wild type. The virulence of the {Delta}sigB and {Delta}P4inlA strains was attenuated in intragastrically inoculated guinea pigs, with the {Delta}sigB strain showing greater attenuation, while the virulence capacity of the {Delta}P2prfA strain was similar to that of the wild-type strain, suggesting that attenuation of virulence due to the {Delta}sigB mutation does not result from loss of {sigma}B-dependent prfA transcription. Our results show that {sigma}B-dependent activation of inlA is important for cell invasion and gastrointestinal infection and suggest that {sigma}B-regulated genes in addition to inlA appear to contribute to gastrointestinal infection. Interestingly, the virulence of the {Delta}sigB strain was not attenuated in intravenously infected guinea pigs. We conclude that (i) L. monocytogenes {sigma}B plays a critical role in invasion of human host cells, (ii) {sigma}B-mediated contributions to invasion are, in part, due to direct effects on inlA transcription but not on prfA transcription, and (iii) {sigma}B plays a critical role during the gastrointestinal stage of listeriosis in the guinea pig but is not important for systemic spread of the organism.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Food Science, 413 Stocking Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Phone: (607) 255-3111. Fax: (607) 254-4868. E-mail: kjb4{at}cornell.edu.

Editor: J. T. Barbieri

Infection and Immunity, February 2006, p. 876-886, Vol. 74, No. 2
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.74.2.876-886.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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