LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES-INFECTED HUMAN UMBILICAL VEIN ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS - INTERNALIN-INDEPENDENT INVASION, INTRACELLULAR GROWTH, MOVEMENT, AND HOST-CELL RESPONSES

The interaction of Listeria monocytogenes with human umbilical vein en dothelial cells was studied. We show that L. monocytogenes invades hum an umbilical vein endothelial cells independently of internalin A, int ernalin B, internalin C, and ActA. L. monocytogenes replicates efficie ntly inside the cells and moves intracellularly by the induction of ac tin polymerization. We further show that L. monocytogenes-infection of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induces interleukin-6 and inte rleukin-8 expression during the first 6 h of infection. The expression of MCP-I and the adhesion molecules VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 was not altered under the experimental conditions used here.