The Tomato Variety Affects the Survival of 2a in Fruit Pericarp.

The presence of enteric pathogens in produce can serve as a significant means of transmitting infections to consumers. Notably, tomatoes, as a type of produce, have been implicated in outbreaks caused by various human pathogens, such as enterica and pathogenic coli. However, the survival characteristics of spp. in tomatoes have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we assess the survival of 2a in two distinct varieties of post-harvested tomatoes. 2a was used to inoculate both regular-sized Vine tomatoes and cherry-type Mini Plum tomatoes. Our findings reveal no significant difference in survival in the pericarp of both varieties on day 2 post-inoculation. However, a significant disparity emerges on day 6, where all recovered colonies exclusively belong to the Mini Plum variety, with none associated with the Vine type. When was inoculated into the locular cavity (deep inoculation), no significant difference between varieties was observed. Additionally, we investigate the potential role of the SRL pathogenicity island (SRL PAI) in the survival and fitness of 2a in post-harvested tomatoes. Our results indicate that while the SRL PAI is not linked to the survival of the strains in tomato, it does impact their fitness. These findings underscore the variability in strains' survival capabilities depending on the tomato variety, highlighting the importance of understanding ecology beyond the human host and identifying molecular determinants influencing bacterial survival to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks. The significance of this data on persistence in fresh vegetables should not be underestimated, as even a small number of cells can pose a threat to the health of individuals.