ABSTRACT: Peracetic acid (PAA), a strong oxidizing agent, has been widely used as a disinfectant in food processing settings as it does not produce harmful chlorinated by-products. In the present study, the transcriptional response of Listeria monocytogenes to 2.5 ppm of PAA was assessed using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). Our analysis revealed 12 differentially expressed genes, of which 9 were up-regulated (ohrR, ohrA, rpsN, lmo0637, lmo1973, fur, lmo2492, zurM, and lmo1007), and 3 were down-regulated (argG, lmo0604, lmo2156) in PAA treated samples compared to the control samples. A non-coding small RNA (rli32) was also found to be down-regulated. In detail, the organic peroxide toxicity protection (OhrA-OhrR) system, the metal homeostasis genes fur and zurM, the SbrE-regulated lmo0636-lmo0637 operon and a carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS) operon component were induced under exposure of L. monocytogenes to PAA. Hence, this study identified key elements involved in the primary response of L. monocytogenes to oxidative stress caused by PAA. The investigation of the molecular mechanism of PAA response in L. monocytogenes is of utmost importance for the food industry, as this response can be induced in food-processing environments, as a result of inadequate rinsing during the disinfection process, that lead to PAA residues at low concentrations.