MRS2 and infection: As expected, EGD-e, along with ST2, ST6, ST8, and ST224, all carry key virulence genes necessary for successful host infection, including the LIPI-1 virulence genes (i.e., prfA, plcA, hly, mpl, actA, and plcB) in addition to the internalins, inlA, inlB, and inlC, and the hexose phosphate transporter, hpt. The L. innocua strain Clip11262 does not carry any of these virulence genes (Figure 1A).