Scientists at the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, the Institut Curie and Inserm have identified a unique mechanism that enables the bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila (the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease or legionellosis) to "reprogram" the gene expression of the eukaryotic cells that it infects. This mechanism, which has never been observed before, facilitates the survival and proliferation of Legionella pneumophila during infection. The work provides precious information on the regulation of the host’s gene expression, as well as important insight into the tactics used by bacteria to manipulate host cells. This research is published online on April 17, at the Cell Host & Microbe website.
