The past, present, future of Listeria monocytogenes: Understanding the molecular pathways, antibiotic resistance and public health implications

Antibiotic resistance is a grave, potential threat to global health due to the continuing difficulty in treating bacterial infections. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals increase this resistance by creating ''superbugs'' impervious to multiple drug therapies....

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Main Authors: Arpita Anupama, Veilumuthu Pattapulavar, John Godwin Christopher
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Medicine in Microecology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590097825000084
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author Arpita Anupama
Veilumuthu Pattapulavar
John Godwin Christopher
author_facet Arpita Anupama
Veilumuthu Pattapulavar
John Godwin Christopher
author_sort Arpita Anupama
collection DOAJ
description Antibiotic resistance is a grave, potential threat to global health due to the continuing difficulty in treating bacterial infections. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals increase this resistance by creating ''superbugs'' impervious to multiple drug therapies. One pathogen that is acquiring resistance is Listeria monocytogenes, a gram-positive bacterium responsible for listeriosis, mainly in immunocompromised individuals. This pathogen's potential for biofilm formation in food processing environments enhances the threat even more, since such biofilms protect the bacteria from standard cleaning procedures and enhance its resistance to antibiotics. Listeria monocytogenes has several mechanisms of resistance against antibiotics by genetic alternations, efflux pumps, and biofilm formation, which exclude the antibiotic, and enzymatic degradation. These mechanisms make the bacteria successful in surviving a hostile environment and resisting several classes of antibiotics; hence, listeriosis is increasingly difficult to treat. It is, therefore, very important to understand the molecular dynamics of Listeria monocytogenes and its strategies of resistance if the design of new therapeutic approaches is to be successful and public health measures are to be effective in controlling the spread of the pathogen. Precisely, this paper attempts a detailed review of the mechanisms of Listeria monocytogenes pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance, together with public health implications that call for urgent innovative strategies in the war against this resilient pathogen.
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spelling doaj-art-5fd05218df6e4a92baf67b6d1cc782db2025-08-20T04:03:25ZengElsevierMedicine in Microecology2590-09782025-09-012510012710.1016/j.medmic.2025.100127The past, present, future of Listeria monocytogenes: Understanding the molecular pathways, antibiotic resistance and public health implicationsArpita Anupama0Veilumuthu Pattapulavar1John Godwin Christopher2Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of BioSciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, IndiaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, School of BioSciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, IndiaCorresponding author.; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of BioSciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632014, IndiaAntibiotic resistance is a grave, potential threat to global health due to the continuing difficulty in treating bacterial infections. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals increase this resistance by creating ''superbugs'' impervious to multiple drug therapies. One pathogen that is acquiring resistance is Listeria monocytogenes, a gram-positive bacterium responsible for listeriosis, mainly in immunocompromised individuals. This pathogen's potential for biofilm formation in food processing environments enhances the threat even more, since such biofilms protect the bacteria from standard cleaning procedures and enhance its resistance to antibiotics. Listeria monocytogenes has several mechanisms of resistance against antibiotics by genetic alternations, efflux pumps, and biofilm formation, which exclude the antibiotic, and enzymatic degradation. These mechanisms make the bacteria successful in surviving a hostile environment and resisting several classes of antibiotics; hence, listeriosis is increasingly difficult to treat. It is, therefore, very important to understand the molecular dynamics of Listeria monocytogenes and its strategies of resistance if the design of new therapeutic approaches is to be successful and public health measures are to be effective in controlling the spread of the pathogen. Precisely, this paper attempts a detailed review of the mechanisms of Listeria monocytogenes pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance, together with public health implications that call for urgent innovative strategies in the war against this resilient pathogen.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590097825000084Listeria monocytogenesFood borne pathogenAntibiotic resistanceGenetic modificationsResistance mechanismsEnzymatic degradation
spellingShingle Arpita Anupama
Veilumuthu Pattapulavar
John Godwin Christopher
The past, present, future of Listeria monocytogenes: Understanding the molecular pathways, antibiotic resistance and public health implications
Medicine in Microecology
Listeria monocytogenes
Food borne pathogen
Antibiotic resistance
Genetic modifications
Resistance mechanisms
Enzymatic degradation
title The past, present, future of Listeria monocytogenes: Understanding the molecular pathways, antibiotic resistance and public health implications
title_full The past, present, future of Listeria monocytogenes: Understanding the molecular pathways, antibiotic resistance and public health implications
title_fullStr The past, present, future of Listeria monocytogenes: Understanding the molecular pathways, antibiotic resistance and public health implications
title_full_unstemmed The past, present, future of Listeria monocytogenes: Understanding the molecular pathways, antibiotic resistance and public health implications
title_short The past, present, future of Listeria monocytogenes: Understanding the molecular pathways, antibiotic resistance and public health implications
title_sort past present future of listeria monocytogenes understanding the molecular pathways antibiotic resistance and public health implications
topic Listeria monocytogenes
Food borne pathogen
Antibiotic resistance
Genetic modifications
Resistance mechanisms
Enzymatic degradation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590097825000084
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