Early events regulating immunity and pathogenesis during Listeria monocytogenes infection.

Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is both a life-threatening pathogen of humans and a model organism that is widely used to dissect the mechanisms of innate and adaptive immune resistance to infection. Specific aspects of the immune response to systemic Lm infection can be protective, neutral, or in some cases deleterious. In this review, we seek to provide an overview of the early events during Lm infection that dictate or regulate host innate and adaptive immune responses. We highlight several recent developments that add to our understanding of the complex interplay between inflammatory responses, host susceptibility to infection, and the development of protective immunity.