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Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Imaging InlC Secretion to Investigate Cellular Infection by the Bacterial Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes
Published on: September 19, 2013
Pathogenic Biohacking: Induction, Modulation and Subversion of Host Transcriptional Responses by Listeria
Matthew J G Eldridge1,2, Pascale Cossart2, Mélanie A Hamon1
1Chromatine et Infection G5, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France.
Abstract:
During infection, the foodborne bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes dynamically influences the gene expression profile of host cells. Infection-induced transcriptional changes are a typical feature of the host-response to bacteria and contribute to the activation of protective genes such as inflammatory cytokines. However, by using specialized virulence factors, bacterial pathogens can target signaling pathways, transcription factors, and epigenetic mechanisms to alter host gene expression, thereby reprogramming the response to infection. Therefore, the transcriptional profile that is established in the host is delicately balanced between antibacterial responses and pathogenesis, where any change in host gene expression might significantly influence the outcome of infection. In this review, we discuss the known transcriptional and epigenetic processes that are engaged during Listeria monocytogenes infection, the virulence factors that can remodel them, and the impact these processes have on the outcome of infection.
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