Exposure to specific fungal lectins during adhesion impairs biofilm formation of Listeria on polystyrene

Janež, Nikolaja (author), Ladányi, Márta (author), Sterniša, Meta (author), Jug, Blaž (author), Zupan, Tanja (author), Peternel, Tjaša (author), Sebastijanović, Aleksandar (author), Perišić Nanut, Milica (author), Karničar, Katarina (author), Taler-Verčič, Ajda (author), Turk, Dušan (author), Klančnik, Anja (author), Štrancar, Janez (author), Sabotič, Jerica (author)

Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium that can form biofilms in food processing plants, allowing the bacteria to survive despite the control measures applied. As the surface of the bacteria is covered with versatile polysaccharides and proteins, these influence the interactions of the bacterium with any surface. The unique properties and high stability of fungal proteins make them good candidates for the control of bacteria by targeting surface structures. We screened a group of fungal lectins and protease inhibitors from different fungal species, protein folds and known targets for their antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against model strains of Listeria innocua and Listeria monocytogenes. Several of them significantly decreased the viability of biofilm bacteria, but had no effect on bacterial growth parameters at 37°C and thus had no antibacterial activity. Fungal lectins significantly impaired biofilm development even at room temperature, which was attributed to exposure to lectins during adhesion. The tested fungal proteins also reduced biofilm development on biological model surfaces. The observed antibiofilm activity of fungal proteins suggests that they have the potential to modulate interactions between bacteria and/or between bacteria and surfaces, which could be used in the future to reduce surface contamination by Listeria.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Listeria monocytogenes, biofilm
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 13 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 17, iss. 12, art. e70040
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-169768
• UDC: 577
• ISSN on article: 1751-7915
• DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.70040
• COBISS.SI-ID: 217485315
• Publication date in RUL: 09.06.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Microbial biotechnology
• Shortened title: Microb. biotechnol.
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 1751-7915
• COBISS.SI-ID: 14597398

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: Listeria monocytogenes, biofilm, polistiren, kontaminacija, listerijski meningitis