Journal
FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
Volume 87, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2019.103367
Keywords
Foodborne pathogen; Serotype differentiation; Quadruplex qPCR; Cured meats
Funding
- INIA [RTA-2013-00070-C03-03, RTA2017-00027-C03-03]
- INIA throughout the Junta de Extremadura
- FEDER [IB16149, GR15108]
- Junta de Extremadura-Consejeria de Economia e Infraestructuras, Fondo Social Europeo, Una manera de hacer Europa [PD16023]
- Juan de la Cierva-Incorporacion senior research fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [IJCI-2014-20666]
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Listeria monocytogenes is an important foodborne pathogen, causative agent of listeriosis. The epidemiology and persistence of this bacterium in meat processing plants may be related to its serotype, so it is of utmost importance to carry out a correct differentiation of L. monocytogenes serotypes. The objective of this study was to develop a unique quadruplex real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) method able to differentiate the four most predominant and worrying L. monocytogenes serotypes (1/2a, 1/2b, 1/2c and 4b) in isolates from meat processing plants and ready-to-eat (RTE) dry-cured meat products. The design of specific primers and probes was based on the lmo0737, lmo0308, ORFC (locus genomically equivalent to gltA-gltB) and ORF2110 genes. A qPCR based on a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene was used to ensure the amplification of Listeria spp. genomic DNA. The standard curves showed efficiency values ranging between 92.3% and 105.8% and, R-2 values > 0.98. The specificity of the method was also confirmed by the comparison of the results with those obtained by a previously reported conventional multiplex PCR. In addition, none of the strains which were not ascribed to L. monocytogenes amplified any of the target genes related to the four major serotypes of this pathogenic species. The qPCR, therefore, provides a sensitive, specific and rapid tool for identifying the L. monocytogenes serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b, 1/2c and 4b. This method could be very useful for identifying sources of L. monocytogenes contamination in the meat industry or for epidemiological monitoring of persistent strains throughout the processing of RTE meat products.
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