Cold stress proteins induced in Listeria monocytogenes in response to temperature downshock and growth at low temperatures.

Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen with the ability to grow at refrigerator temperatures. Twelve cold shock proteins (Csps) with apparent M(r)s of 48,600, 41,000, 21,800, 21,100, 19,700, 19,200, 18,800, 18,800, 17,200, 15,500, 14,500, and 14,400 were induced by cold shocking L. monocytogenes 10403S from 37 to 5 degrees C, as revealed by labeling with L-[35S]methionine followed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Strain SLCC53 showed a similar response. Cold acclimation proteins were observed in cultures of strain 10403S growing at 5 degrees C, and four of these proteins, with apparent M(r)s 48,000, 21,100, 19,700, and 18,800, were also Csps. Two cold-sensitive transposon-induced mutants were labeled less efficiently than the parent strain, but the Csp response of the mutant examined was very similar to that of the parent strain.