Article
Immunology
Xanthe Adams-Ward, Annelise Chapalain, Christophe Ginevra, Sophie Jarraud, Patricia Doublet, Christophe Gilbert
Summary: Bacterial persisters are non-growing, antibiotic-tolerant cells that play a role in treatment failure and antibiotic resistance development. This study investigated the persister formation capacity of Legionella pneumophila clinical isolates and found that it varies between different pairs of isolates. The development of persister cells appeared to be strain-dependent, and genome sequencing analysis did not reveal any genetic microevolution linked to increased persistence capacity.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Maura J. Donohue, Jatin H. Mistry, Nicole Tucker, Stephen J. Vesper
Summary: This study found that the built environment influences the transport and fate of Legionella pneumophila, with residential plumbing potentially serving as a conduit for exposure. Both the area of office buildings and the type of secondary disinfectant can impact contamination levels.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Matthias Karer, Teresa Haider, Manuel Kussmann, Markus Obermueller, Claas Tiehen, Heinz Burgmann, Heimo Lagler, Ludwig Traby
Summary: This study investigated the efficacy of a single intravenous dose of azithromycin for the treatment of pulmonary legionellosis. The results showed that single-dose azithromycin treatment was equally effective as conventional treatment regimens and had the advantage of shorter hospital stay and antibiotic treatment duration.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Aurelien Croze, Antoine Carlino, Benjamin Quelard, Adeline Saha, Tiphaine Convert, Jean-Baptiste Eberst, Sandrine Demaneche
Summary: The study found that Legionella non-pneumophila (Lnp) strains interact differently with various amoebae when co-cultured at different temperatures. At lower temperatures, most Lnp strains, except for L. longbeachae, were phagocytosed by amoebae and unable to multiply intracellularly. At higher temperatures, some strains were able to hijack the machinery of amoebae for proliferation, but there were also specific amoebae that could prevent their growth.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Masaki Okunaga, Kenta Kushiro, Ryohei Horie, Akihiro Kondo, Takashi Abe
Summary: In Japan, bathwaters in public facilities are a potential source of legionellosis. However, the current culture method for detecting Legionella spp. is time-consuming and has limited accuracy. This study investigated the microbiota of bathwater samples and identified several microbial species, such as Methyloversatilis, Cupriavidus, Phenylobacterium, Vermamoeba, and Aspidisca, that were highly correlated with Legionella spp. These findings contribute to the development of strategies against legionellosis.
Review
Microbiology
Stephen T. Chambers, Sandy Slow, Amy Scott-Thomas, David R. Murdoch
Summary: Although Legionella pneumophila is commonly known to cause community-acquired pneumonia and Pontiac fever, infections caused by other Legionella species are often underestimated globally. L. longbeachae has been identified as a major cause of community-acquired pneumonia in Australia and New Zealand, particularly linked to exposure to potting soils and compost. Genetic studies have shown that Legionella has highly adaptable genomes, which contributes to its pathogenesis and survival strategies. Efforts to prevent legionellosis are hindered by surveillance limitations and variable effectiveness of current prevention strategies.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Maura J. Donohue, Maily Pham, Stephanie Brown, Kaveri M. Easwaran, Stephen Vesper, Jatin H. Mistry
Summary: This study investigated the detection methods of Legionella pneumophila in tap water samples in buildings across the United States and their performance under different water quality conditions. The results showed variations in method performance when using three culture methods and one molecular method. Water quality influenced the detection results of L. pneumophila, especially the total organic carbon and heterotrophic bacterial counts were positively correlated with its detection frequency. Therefore, water quality should be considered when selecting L. pneumophila detection methods.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jamie Gorzynski, Bryan Wee, Melissa Llano, Joana Alves, Ross Cameron, Jim McMenamin, Andrew Smith, Diane Lindsay, J. Ross Fitzgerald
Summary: Through whole-genome sequencing, this study investigates the evolutionary and epidemiological relationships of Legionella pneumophila isolates in Scotland over 36 years. The analysis reveals the presence of endemic clones in hospital, community, and travel-associated environments, and suggests the importance of redefining cluster and outbreak definitions. The study highlights the significance of whole-genome sequencing in real-time identification and mitigation of clinically important endemic clones.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Piotr Kanarek, Tomasz Bogiel, Barbara Breza-Boruta
Summary: There has been an increase in the number of legionellosis cases in the European Union and the European Economic Area in recent years, with a significant rise from 6947 reports in 2015 to 11,298 in 2019. This is concerning because Legionella, a group of bacteria found in various aquatic systems, poses a serious threat to human health, with more than 20 species capable of causing legionellosis. Understanding the Legionella habitat is crucial for effective control of this pathogen. This paper provides an overview of Legionella environments in Europe, both natural and anthropogenic, and discusses the role of Legionella spp. in nosocomial infections, which can be fatal for vulnerable populations.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Malgorzata Mikulska, Gloria Tridello, Jennifer Hoek, Lidia Gil, Lucrecia Yanez, Helene Labussiere-Wallet, Jakob Passweg, Alienor Xhaard, Pietro Pioltelli, Denis Caillot, Gerard Michel, Hendrik Veelken, Didier Blaise, Benedetto Bruno, Carmen Botella Garcia, Maija Itala-Remes, Charles Crawley, Jean Henri Bourhis, Ain Kaare, William Arcese, Rocio Parody, Jan Styczynski
Summary: This study examined cases of legionellosis post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and found that allogeneic HSCT and recent other infections were predictors of legionellosis, while female sex, early legionellosis, and the south-eastern geographical region were predictors of non-relapse mortality. Legionellosis is a rare complication after HSCT, occurring frequently within 30 days post-HSCT and associated with high mortality.
BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Valeria Iliadi, Jeni Staykova, Sergios Iliadis, Ina Konstantinidou, Polina Sivykh, Gioulia Romanidou, Daniil F. Vardikov, Dimitrios Cassimos, Theocharis G. Konstantinidis
Summary: Legionella spp. is a potentially fatal bacterium that can cause pneumonia and can be transmitted through inhalation of aerosols. It can invade various organs and cause severe manifestations, including septic shock.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marietta S. Kaspers, Vivian Pogenberg, Christian Pett, Stefan Ernst, Felix Ecker, Philipp Ochtrop, Michael Groll, Christian Hedberg, Aymelt Itzen
Summary: In this study, the authors uncover the mechanism and substrate recognition of Legionella effector Lem3, which removes a phosphocholine moiety from the human protein Rab1 during infection. They present the crystal structure of the stabilised Lem3:Rab1b complex, revealing the catalytic mechanism and substrate recognition of PPM phosphatases shaped Lem3. This research is of significant importance for understanding bacterial pathogenesis and protein substrate recognition.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tao-Tao Chen, Si-Ru Zheng, Li Tian, Sunliang Lv, Wenhong Zhong, Xiangliang Li, Dandan Zhang, Xuexing Zheng, Songying Ouyang
Summary: Legionella pneumophila, a pathogenic bacterium causing Legionnaires' disease, secretes Lgt family effectors that inhibit protein synthesis in human cells by specific glycosylation of eEF1A. In this study, the structural basis of the action mechanism of Lgt family effectors is revealed. Lgt2 interacts with negatively charged regions in eEF1A, while Lgt1 interacts with a negatively charged surface to inhibit host unfolded protein response. These findings provide insights into the role of glycosyltransferase in Legionella's lifecycle.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shinnosuke Fukushima, Hideharu Hagiya, Yuki Otsuka, Toshihiro Koyama, Fumio Otsuka
Summary: This study examined the temporal trend, seasonality, and geographical variations of legionellosis incidence and mortality in Japan. The study found that there has been an increasing trend in legionellosis incidence in Japan in recent years, while the estimated fatality rates have been decreasing. Men have higher incidence rates than women, and summer has significantly higher incidence compared to winter.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Styliani Dimitra Papagianeli, Zafeiro Aspridou, Spyros Didos, Dimosthenis Chochlakis, Anna Psaroulaki, Konstantinos Koutsoumanis
Summary: A predictive mathematical model was developed to describe the effect of temperature on the inactivation of Legionella pneumophila in water. The model was validated under dynamic temperature conditions and shown to effectively predict pathogen inactivation and translate water temperature profiles to cell number reduction. This model, used in combination with temperature monitoring, can provide an integrated preventive approach for effective control of Legionella pneumophila in plumbing systems.
Article
Microbiology
Matthew T. Sorbara, Elisabeth G. Foerster, Jessica Tsalikis, Mena Abdel-Nour, Joseph Mangiapane, Imogen Sirluck-Schroeder, Ivan Tattoli, Rob van Dalen, David E. Isenman, John R. Rohde, Stephen E. Girardin, Dana J. Philpott
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2018)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mena Abdel-Nour, Carla Duncan, Akriti Prashar, Chitong Rao, Christophe Ginevra, Sophie Jarraud, Donald E. Low, Alexander W. Ensminger, Mauricio R. Terebiznik, Cyril Guyard
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2014)
Review
Cell Biology
Mena Abdel-Nour, Jessica Tsalikis, David Kleinman, Stephen E. Girardin
IMMUNOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2014)
Article
Cell Biology
Samuel A. Killackey, Muhammed A. Rahman, Fraser Soares, Ashley B. Zhang, Mena Abdel-Nour, Dana J. Philpott, Stephen E. Girardin
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohammad Adil Khan, Natalie Knox, Akriti Prashar, David Alexander, Mena Abdel-Nour, Carla Duncan, Patrick Tang, Hajera Amatullah, Claudia C. Dos Santos, Nathalie Tijet, Donald E. Low, Christine Pourcel, Gary Van Domselaar, Mauricio Terebiznik, Alexander W. Ensminger, Cyril Guyard
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tapas Mukherjee, Elise Sofie Hovingh, Elisabeth G. Foerster, Mena Abdel-Nour, Dana J. Philpott, Stephen E. Girardin
ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jessica Tsalikis, Mena Abdel-Nour, Armin Farahvash, Matthew T. Sorbara, Stephanie Poon, Dana J. Philpott, Stephen E. Girardin
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Microbiology
Mena Abdel-Nour, Han Su, Carla Duncan, Shaopei Li, Deepa Raju, Feras Shamoun, Marine Valton, Christophe Ginevra, Sophie Jarraud, Cyril Guyard, Kagan Kerman, Mauricio R. Terebiznik
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Immunology
Jana Neiman-Zenevich, Sarah Stuart, Mena Abdel-Nour, Stephen E. Girardin, Jeremy Mogridge
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2017)