Effect of low concentrations of lactic acid and temperature on the expression of adhesion, invasion, and toxin-encoding genes of Campylobacter jejuni from poultry

• Published in: Iranian journal of microbiology 2024-08, Vol.16 (4), p.536-544
• Main Authors: Jadidi, Aliakbar, Ghasemian, Abdolmajid, Abdollahi, Abbas, Abbasi-Dokht, Tannaz, Abdollahzadeh, Esmail, Baharlou, Rasoul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Campylobacter jejuni; Colonization; Gene expression; Original; Virulence factors
• ISSN: 2008-3289; 2008-4447
• DOI: 10.18502/ijm.v16i4.16313

The consumption of contaminated poultry meat is considered as a significant route of campylobacteriosis transmission. Lactic acid is a disinfectant agent with bactericidal effects on spp. The purpose of this study was to assess the low concentrations of lactic acid effect and different temperatures on the transcriptomic responses of adhesion and virulence-associated genes including and . The samples were incubated at 10°C and 22°C for 48 h upon exposure to 30% and 60% lactic acid. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of lactic acid was also determined. Then, gene expression was assessed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Lactic acid had lower MIC and MBC levels at lower temperature. The utilization of both levels of lactic acid significantly reduced the expression of and genes over 48 h of incubation at 22°C. However, no significant difference was found in the expression of the gene between 10 and 22°C at 30% lactic acid. These results highlight the potential of low-concentration lactic acid in the downregulation of adhesion and virulence-associated genes as well as reduction of pathogenicity.