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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2002, p. 5258-5264, Vol. 68, No. 11
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.11.5258-5264.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Postadaptational Resistance to Benzalkonium Chloride and Subsequent Physicochemical Modifications of Listeria monocytogenes

Monica S. To,1 Stacy Favrin,1,2 Nadya Romanova,1,2 and Mansel W. Griffiths1,2*

Department of Food Science,1 Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W12

Received 11 February 2002/ Accepted 5 August 2002

Many studies have demonstrated that bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes, are capable of adapting to disinfectants used in industrial settings after prolonged exposure to sublethal concentrations. However, the consequent alterations of the cell surface due to sanitizer adaptation of this pathogen are not fully understood. Two resistant and four sensitive L. monocytogenes strains from different sources were progressively subcultured with increasing sublethal concentrations of a surfactant, benzalkonium chloride (BC). To evaluate the effects of acquired tolerance to BC, parent and adapted strains were compared by using several morphological and physiological tests. Sensitive strains showed at least a fivefold increase in the MIC, while the MIC doubled for resistant strains after the adaptation period. The hydrophobicities of cells of parent and adapted strains were similar. Serological testing indicated that antigen types 1 and 4 were both present on the cell surface of adapted cells. The data suggest that efflux pumps are the major mechanism of adaptation in sensitive strains and are less important in originally resistant isolates. A different, unknown mechanism was responsible for the original tolerance of resistant isolates. In an originally resistant strain, there was a slight shift in the fatty acid profile after adaptation, whereas sensitive strains had similar profiles. Electron micrographs revealed morphological differences after adaptation. The changes in cell surface antigens, efflux pump utilization, and fatty acid profiles suggest that different mechanisms are used by resistant and sensitive strains for adaptation to BC.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1. Phone: (519) 824-4120, ext. 2269. Fax: (519) 763-0952. E-mail: mgriffit{at}uoguelph.ca.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2002, p. 5258-5264, Vol. 68, No. 11
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.11.5258-5264.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Dufour, M., Manson, J. M., Bremer, P. J., Dufour, J.-P., Cook, G. M., Simmonds, R. S. (2007). Characterization of Monolaurin Resistance in Enterococcus faecalis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 5507-5515 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mangalappalli-Illathu, A. K., Korber, D. R. (2006). Adaptive Resistance and Differential Protein Expression of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis Biofilms Exposed to Benzalkonium Chloride. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50: 3588-3596 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Romanova, N. A., Wolffs, P. F. G., Brovko, L. Y., Griffiths, M. W. (2006). Role of Efflux Pumps in Adaptation and Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes to Benzalkonium Chloride.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 3498-3503 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Poole, K. (2005). Efflux-mediated antimicrobial resistance. J Antimicrob Chemother 56: 20-51 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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