Listeria monocytogenes biofilm-derived cells show differential sigB expression on a food model and enhanced survival in simulated gastric conditions

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen of utmost interest to food industry stakeholders because it persists in food processing environments. The ability to form biofilms - bacterial communities of autoaggregated cells embedded in a self-produced matrix - contributes to its persistence. While it is known that biofilm cells exhibit different gene expression than their planktonic counterparts, it remains to be elucidated whether those differences persist once cells detach from the biofilm and what their implications might be for food safety. Therefore, this study examines the differential sigB expression in biofilm-derived cells from three L. monocytogenes strains isolated from the environment within a food model subjected to varying osmotic stress over a 15-day storage period. Under our experimental conditions, biofilm-derived L. monocytogenes cells showed higher sigB expression compared to planktonic counterparts. The upregulation was strain-dependent and transient, suggesting that physiological memory may influence stress adaptation during early storage but dissipates over time. Then, the safety implications of sigB upregulation in biofilm-derived cells were assessed by evaluating cell survival under a simulated gastric environment (pH 1-3). The biofilm-derived cells showed a significant increase in survival under severe gastric conditions compared to the planktonic counterparts. Overall, our findings highlight the need to consider biofilm-derived cells in shelf-life studies and predictive models to more accurately reflect real contamination scenarios. Relying exclusively on planktonic cultures introduces a bias that may compromise risk analysis and decision-making.