Metabolomes of the psychrotolerant bacterium Listeria monocytogenes 10403S grown at 37 degrees C and 8 degrees C.

摘要

Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen with the ability to grow at refrigeration temperatures. Knowledge of the mechanisms involved in low temperature growth is incomplete and here we report the results of a metabolomics investigation of this. The small molecule contents of L. monocytogenes 10403S grown at 37 degrees C and 8 degrees C were compared by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Over 500 peaks were detected in both 37 degrees C and 8 degrees C-grown cells, and 103 were identified. Of the identified metabolites, the concentrations of 56 metabolites were increased (P < 0.05), while the concentrations of 8 metabolites were decreased at low temperature. Metabolites increasing in concentration at 8 degrees C included amino acids, sugars, organic acids, urea cycle intermediates, polyamines, and different compatible solutes. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to visualize and compare the matrix containing the data in 6 samples, and this clearly identified the 37 degrees C and 8 degrees C metabolomes as different. The results indicated that an increase in solute concentrations in the cytoplasm was associated with low temperature adaptation, which may be a response to chill stress with the effect of lowering the freezing point of intracellular water and decreasing ice crystal formation.