Divergent host-pathogen interactions in neurolisteriosis: cytosolic replication vs. phagosomal dormancy of Listeria monocytogenes in CNS macrophages

We are happy to announce Leticia Tavares-Gomes’ latest paper, titled “Divergent host–pathogen interactions in neurolisteriosis: cytosolic replication vs. phagosomal dormancy of Listeria monocytogenesin CNS macrophages.”. In this work, we explored how Listeria monocytogenes behaves differently in two key brain macrophage types: microglia (resident CNS macrophages) and infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). Using naturally infected bovine brain tissue and in vitro infection models, we discovered that Listeria exploits microglia to enter the cytosol and replicate, while in MDM it is largely restricted to the phagosomal compartment and enters a “viable but non-culturable” (VBNC) state. Importantly, the virulence factor listeriolysin O (LLO) plays a pivotal role in determining whether bacteria escape the phagosome or become dormant. We thank all collaborators, co-authors, and supporting institutions for making this work possible.