Final answer:
The item stating that Listeria monocytogenes produces endospores is incorrect. Listeria is a gram-positive bacterium that causes listeriosis, commonly through contaminated food, and is capable of cell-to-cell spread without forming endospores.
Step-by-step explanation:
All of the following pertain to Listeria monocytogenes, except:
- It causes food-borne listeriosis.
- Bacterial cells multiply within the cytoplasm of a host cell.
- It is gram-positive.
- It produces endospores.
The correct answer is d) It produces endospores. Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular bacterium that is known for causing the disease listeriosis, predominantly through the consumption of contaminated food. It is a gram-positive rod that does not produce endospores. This pathogen is capable of growing within the host's cells and evades the host immune system via specialized virulence factors such as listeriolysin O and ActA, thereby facilitating its spread from cell to cell. The ability of Listeria to multiply at refrigeration temperatures and its salt tolerance make its control in food products challenging. Notably, Listeria is a significant concern in at-risk populations, like pregnant women, due to its capacity to cross the placenta, leading to severe outcomes such as miscarriage or stillbirth.