Novel activator of mannose-specific phosphotransferase system permease expression in Listeria innocua, identified by screening for pediocin AcH resistance.

To identify genes that are important for class IIa bacteriocin interaction and resistance in Listeria species, transposon Tn917 knockout libraries were constructed for Listeria innocua strain Lin11 and screened for mutants that are resistant to pediocin AcH. A highly resistant mutant (G7) (MIC > 20 microg/ml; 1,000-fold less susceptible than the wild type), in which the transposon integrated into the putative promoter of the lin0142 gene, was isolated. lin0142 is located immediately upstream of the mpt operon (mptA/mptC/mptD) that encodes the mannose-specific phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system permease EIItMan, which serves as a docking protein for class IIa bacteriocins.