AUTHOR=Stone Edel , Lhomet Antoine , Neve Horst , Grant Irene R. , Campbell Katrina , McAuliffe Olivia TITLE=Isolation and Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes Phage vB_LmoH_P61, a Phage With Biocontrol Potential on Different Food Matrices JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems VOLUME=4 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.521645 DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2020.521645 ISSN=2571-581X ABSTRACT=

The high mortality rate associated with Listeria monocytogenes as well as its ability to adapt to the harsh conditions employed in food processing have ensured that this pathogen has become a significant concern in the ready-to-eat food industry. Lytic bacteriophages are viruses that hijack the metabolic mechanisms of their bacterial host as a means to grow and replicate, subsequently leading to host cell death due to lysis. This study reports the biological and genomic characterization of L. monocytogenes phage vB_LmoH_P61 (P61) and its potential application for the reduction of L. monocytogenes in artificially contaminated foods. Phage P61 is a virulent bacteriophage belonging to the family Herelleviridae and has a genome size of 136,485bp. The lytic spectrum of phage P61 was investigated and it was shown to infect serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b, 1/2c, 4b, 4e, and 6a. Treatment of artificially contaminated milk stored at 8 and 12°C with phage P61 resulted in a significant reduction in L. monocytogenes numbers over the product shelf life. Similarly, phage P61 reduced L. monocytogenes numbers on artificially contaminated baby spinach stored at 8, 12, and 25°C. The research findings indicate that biocontrol of L. monocytogenes with phage P61 may offer a safe and environmentally friendly approach for the reduction of L. monocytogenes numbers in certain ready-to-eat foods.