Mining of novel target genes through pan-genome analysis for multiplex PCR differentiation of the major Listeria monocytogenes serotypes

The abundant information provided by the pan-genome analysis approach reveals the diversity among Listeria monocytogenes serotypes. The objective of this study was to mine novel target genes using pan-genome analysis for multiplex PCR detection and differentiation of the major L. monocytogenes serotypes present in food. Pan-genome analysis and PCR validation revealed a total of 10 specific targets: one for lineage I, two for serogroup I.1, one for serogroup I.2, two for lineage II, one for serogroup II.1, three for lineage III. Primers for the novel targets were highly specific in individual reactions. The detection limits were 10(3)-10(4) colony-forming units (CFU)/mL in pure bacterial cultures, meeting the requirements of molecular detection. Based on these novel targets, two new "lineage" multiplex PCR assays were developed to simultaneously distinguish between three lineages (I, II, and III) and five major serotypes (1/2a, 1/2b, 1/2c, 4b, and 4c) of L. monocytogenes. The detection limits of lineage I and lineage II&III mPCRs were 0.771 pg/mu L and 1.76 pg/mu L genomic DNA, respectively. The specificity of the mPCRs was robustly verified using other L. monocytogenes and non-L. monocytogenes serotypes. These results suggest that the two "lineage" multiplex PCRs based on novel targets offer a promising approach for accurate, sensitive, and rapid identification of L. monocytogenes serotypes.