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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Using a Bacterial Pathogen to Probe for Cellular and Organismic-level Host Responses
Published on: February 22, 2019
Listeria monocytogenes ferritin protects against multiple stresses and is required for virulence
Olivier Dussurget1, Emilie Dumas, Cristel Archambaud
1Unité des Interactions Bactéries-Cellules, INSERM U604, INRA USC2020, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Abstract:
In this study, the role of Listeria monocytogenes ferritin was investigated. The fri gene encoding the ferritin was deleted and the phenotype of the mutant was analyzed demonstrating that ferritin is necessary for optimal growth in minimal medium in both presence and absence of iron, as well as after cold- and heat-shock. We also showed that ferritin provides protection against reactive oxygen species and is essential for full virulence of L. monocytogenes. A comparative proteomic analysis revealed an effect of the fri deletion on the levels of listeriolysin O and several stress proteins. Together, our study demonstrates that fri has multiple roles that contribute to Listeria virulence.
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