Article
Induced Biliary Excretion of Listeria monocytogenes
Infection and Immunity
(2006)
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous gram-positive bacterium that can cause systemic and often lifethreatening
disease in immunocompromised hosts. This organism is largely an intracellular pathogen; however,
we have determined that it can also grow extracellularly in animals, in the lumen of the gallbladder. The
significance of growth in the gallbladder with respect to the pathogenesis and spread of listeriosis depends on
the ability of the bacterium to leave this organ and be disseminated to other tissues and into the environment.
Should this process be highly inefficient, growth in the gallbladder would have no impact on pathogenesis or
spread, but if it occurs efficiently, bacterial growth in this organ may contribute to listeriosis and dissemination
of this organism. Here, we use whole-body imaging to determine the efficacy and kinetics of food- and
hormone-induced biliary excretion of L. monocytogenes from the murine gallbladder, demonstrating that transit
through the bile duct into the intestine can occur within 5 min of induction of gallbladder contraction by food
or cholecystokinin and that movement of bacteria through the intestinal lumen can occur very rapidly in the
absence of fecal material. These studies demonstrate that L. monocytogenes bacteria replicating in the gallbladder
can be expelled from the organ efficiently and that the released bacteria move into the intestinal tract,
where they pass into the environment and may possibly reinfect the animal.
Disciplines
Publication Date
March, 2006
DOI
10.1128/IAI.74.3.1819–1827.2006
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Citation Information
Jonathan Hardy, Jeffrey J. Margolis and Christopher H. Contag. "Induced Biliary Excretion of Listeria monocytogenes" Infection and Immunity Vol. 74 Iss. 3 (2006) p. 1819 - 1827 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jeffrey-margolis/4/