Antimicrobial Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes Strains Isolated from Humans, Animals, and Food Products in Russia in 1950-1980, 2000-2005, and 2018-2021.

Susceptibility of 117 L. monocytogenes strains isolated during three time periods (1950-1980; 2000-2005, and 2018-2021) to 23 antibiotics was tested by the disk diffusion method. All strains were sensitive to aminoglycosides (gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin), glycopeptides (vancomycin and teicoplanin), clarithromycin, levofloxacin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Resistance to clindamycin was observed in 35.5% of strains. Resistance to carbapenems, imipenem and meropenem was found in 4% and 5% of strains, respectively. Resistance to erythromycin, penicillin G, trimethoprim, and ciprofloxacin was found in 4%, 3%, 3%, and 2.5% of strains, respectively. Resistance to tylosin, ampicillin, enrofloxacin, linezolid, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline was found in less than 2%. Three strains with multiple antibiotic resistance and 12 strains with resistance to two antibiotics were revealed. Comparison of strains isolated in different time periods showed that the percentage of resistant strains was the lowest among strains isolated before 1980, and no strains with multiple antibiotic resistance were found among them. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the temporal evolution of resistance in L. monocytogenes has an antibiotic-specific character. While resistance to some antibiotics such as ampicillin and penicillin G has gradually decreased in the population, resistance to other antibiotics acquired by particular strains in recent years has not been accompanied by changes in resistance of other strains.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new substituted thioglycolurils, their analogues and derivatives.

A novel series of substituted N-aminothioglycolurils was synthesized by tandem hydrazone formation - ring contraction reaction of 3-thioxoperhydroimidazo[4,5-e]-1,2,4-triazin-6-ones with (E)-3-phenyl(furan-2-yl)acrylaldehyde derivatives. S-Alkyl substituted N-aminothioglycolurils were prepared through alkylation of corresponding thioglycolurils with iodoalkane or 4-chlorobenzylchloride. Methylthio group in S-methyl derivatives can be substituted with hydroxyl group in acid medium to give N-aminoglycolurils. Representative compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against RD, A549, HCT116 and MCF7 human cancer cell lines by MTT-assay and screened for their antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi using the mycelium growth inhibition method in vitro. Among the derivatives, 4-((E)-((E)-3-(2-Methoxyphenyl)allylidene)amino)-3-methyl-1-phenylthioglycoluril 8i was found to have the highest antiproliferative activity toward the RD and HCT116 cell lines (8i: IC50 = 0.02 and 0.012 µM, respectively), which exceeded cytotoxicity of reference drugs. 1,3-Diethyl-4-((E)-((E)-3-(2-methoxyphenyl)allylidene)amino)thioglycoluril 8l showed the most marked activity toward A549 cells (8l: IC50 = 0.61 µM) compared to reference drugs. The IC50 values of thioglycolurils 8i,l against normal human embryonic kidney cells HEK293 were 0.23 and 86.11 µM, respectively, exceeding the IC50 values of this compound toward the RD, HCT116 (8i) and A549 cells (8l) by one-two orders of magnitude. Experiments with annexin showed that compounds 8b,i,l induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells (acute T cell leukemia). Alkylthioderivatives 12a,13a displayed the strongest antifungal action against R. solani, F. oxysporum, and F. moniliforme exceeding those of triadimefon.

Substituted N-aminothioglycolurils containing thiosemicarbazone moiety and their cytotoxic activity in vitro.

A library of hybrid molecules bearing thioglycoluril and (hetero)aromatic aldehyde thiosemicarbazone moieties was synthesized via a tandem hydrazone formation-ring contraction reaction of 5,7-dialkyl-3-thioxoperhydroimidazo[4,5-e]-1,2,4-triazin-6-ones with (hetero)aromatic aldehydes. All synthesized compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activity against rhabdomyosarcoma, A549, and MS human cancer cell lines by MTT-assay. Among the derivatives, (E)-4-benzylideneamino-1,3-dimethyl-5-thioxohexahydroimidazo[4,5-d]imidazol-2(1H)-one 1f was found to have the most marked antiproliferative activity toward the tested cell lines (1f: IC[Formula: see text] 23.7, and 6.4 [Formula: see text]M, respectively). The IC[Formula: see text] value of thioglycoluril 1f against normal human embryonic kidney cells HEK293 was 72.5 [Formula: see text]M, which appeared to be 3-11-fold higher than IC[Formula: see text] values of 1f against human cancer cells.

Mammalian peptidoglycan recognition protein TagL inhibits Listeria monocytogenes invasion into epithelial cells.

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins are a family of evolutionary conserved proteins that play a basic role in the innate immunity of insects, but their role in the immunity of mammals remains unclear. To elucidate its functions, a mouse member of the peptidoglycan recognition proteins family, TagL, was stably expressed in colon adenocarcinoma HT29 cells, and its effect on the invasion and intracellular growth of the enteroinvasive pathogenic bacterium Listeria monocytogenes was assessed. The expression of TagL substantially impaired bacterial invasion and early intracellular growth. The observed effects were partly caused by a loss of viability by intraphagosomal bacteria. Efficient phagosome escaping but not efficient invasion helped bacteria to overplay TagL.

A simple method for the differentiation of Listeria monocytogenes based on induction of lecithinase activity by charcoal.

The PlcB phospholipase C, or lecithinase, is an important listerial virulence factor of potential use as a pathogenicity marker for Listeria spp. food isolates. However, wild-type strains of Listeria monocytogenes express virulence factors very poorly in vitro and their lecithinase activity is normally difficult to detect on agar plates. We recently reported that the production of listerial virulence factors is strongly induced if L. monocytogenes is grown in the presence of activated charcoal. We report here a simple method for the rapid differentiation of L. monocytogenes from other Listeria spp. based on a comparison of lecithinase reactions in egg yolk agar plates with and without charcoal supplementation. All L. monocytogenes wild-type isolates tested showed a clear induction of lecithinase activity in charcoal-supplemented medium (CEYM), while nonpathogenic Listeria spp. remained negative in CEYM. The animal pathogen L. ivanovii was easily differentiated from L. monocytogenes because it showed a strong lecithinase reaction independently of the presence or absence of charcoal in the medium.