Virulence characterization of Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne intracellular pathogen, is responsible for about 300 deaths every year in the USA. It has the ability to escape host defense mechanisms and causes listeriosis more frequently in immunocompromised individuals. Virulence mechanisms in L. monocytogenes are highly regulated and tightly controlled. A number of virulence factors that play important roles in pathogenesis of listeriosis have been identified and characterized. This review highlights the power of comparative genomics and functional genomics in identifying genes and proteins involved in the infection process. These genes and proteins are potentially useful as biomarkers for detecting virulent L. monocytogenes. This review also focuses on developments in the in vivo and in vitro models used in characterization of listerial virulence.