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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, December 2003, p. 7514-7516, Vol. 69, No. 12
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.12.7514-7516.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effect of Food Processing-Related Stresses on Acid Tolerance of Listeria monocytogenes

Konstantinos P. Koutsoumanis,{dagger} Patricia A. Kendall, and John N. Sofos*

Center for Red Meat Safety, Department of Animal Sciences, and Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523

Received 10 April 2003/ Accepted 8 September 2003

Stationary-phase cells of Listeria monocytogenes grown in glucose-free or glucose-containing media were exposed for 90 min to various stresses, including acid stress (pH 4.0 to 7.0), osmotic stress (10.5 to 20.5% NaCl), and various temperatures (-5 to 50°C), and were further exposed to pH 3.5. Exposure to a mildly acidic (pH 5.0 to 6.0) environment provided protection of the pathogen against acid upon subsequent exposure. This adaptive response, however, was found to be strongly dependent on other environmental conditions during the shock, such as temperature or the simultaneous presence of a second stress factor (NaCl). Growth of L. monocytogenes in the presence of glucose resulted in enhanced survival of the pathogen at pH 3.5. Sublethal stresses other than acidic stresses, i.e., osmotic, heat, and low-temperature stresses, did not affect the acid resistance of L. monocytogenes (P > 0.5). More-severe levels of these stresses, however, resulted in sensitization of the pathogen to acid.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Center for Red Meat Safety, Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Phone: (970) 491-7703. Fax: (970) 491-0278. E-mail: john.sofos{at}colostate.edu.

{dagger} Present address: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Food Science and Technology, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, December 2003, p. 7514-7516, Vol. 69, No. 12
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.12.7514-7516.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Kagkli, D.-M., Iliopoulos, V., Stergiou, V., Lazaridou, A., Nychas, G.-J. (2009). Differential Listeria monocytogenes Strain Survival and Growth in Katiki, a Traditional Greek Soft Cheese, at Different Storage Temperatures. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 3621-3626 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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