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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #372045
Research Project: Biocontrol Interventions for High-Value Agricultural Commodities

Location: Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research

Title: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ALB65 inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on cantaloupe melons

Author
item TRAN, THAO - Uc Davis Medical Center
item DEL CID, CELIA - Former ARS Employee
item Hnasko, Robert
item Gorski, Lisa
item McGarvey, Jeffery - Jeff

Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/14/2020
Publication Date: 12/17/2020
Citation: Tran, T.D., Del Cid, C., Hnasko, R.M., Gorski, L.A., McGarvey, J.A. 2020. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ALB65 inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on cantaloupe melons. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 87(1). Article e01926-20. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01926-20.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01926-20

Interpretive Summary: Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne human pathogen that causes severe illness and a high rate of fatality. Contamination of produce by this bacterium is especially troubling because of the ability of this bacterium to grow and spread to other uncontaminated produce under refrigeration temperatures. We created a library of bacteria normally associated with produce and evaluated them for the ability to inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes on cantaloupe melons. We identified one bacterium, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ALB65, that significantly inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes at room temperature and completely at refrigeration temperatures. The genome of B. amyloliquefaciens ALB65 was sequenced and 6 gene clusters encoding for the production of antibiotics were identified that are likely involved in L. monocytogenes growth inhibition. These data suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens ALB65 is a good candidate for use as a biological control agent to reduce the growth of L. monocytogenes on cantaloupe melons and possibly other types of produce.

Technical Abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that causes high rates of hospitalization and mortality in people infected. Contamination of fresh, ready to eat produce by this pathogen is especially troubling because of the ability of this bacterium to grow and spread to other uncontaminated produce under refrigeration temperatures. In this study, we created a library of over 8,000 plant phyllosphere associated bacteria (PPAB) and screened them for the ability to inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes in an in vitro fluorescens based assay. One isolate, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ALB65 was able to inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes by > 30-fold in vitro. B. amyloliquefaciens ALB65 was also able to grow, persist and reduce the growth of L. monocytogenes by > 64-fold on cantaloupe melons at 30oC, and was able to completely inhibit the growth of this pathogen at temperatures below 8oC. DNA sequence analysis of the B. amyloliquefaciens ALB65 genome revealed 6 gene clusters that are predicted to encode genes for antibiotic production; however, no plant or human virulence factors were identified. These data suggest that B. amyloliquefaciens ALB65 is a good candidate for use as a biological control agent to reduce the growth of L. monocytogenes on cantaloupe melons and possibly other types of produce.