Acanthamoeba and Dictyostelium as Cellular Models for Legionella Infection

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Steinert, Michael¹  Eichinger, Ludwig²  Swart, A. Leoni³  Hilbi, Hubert³  Harrison, Christopher F.⁴ 

[1] Department of Life Sciences, Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany;Institute for Biochemistry I, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Germany;Institute of Medical Microbiology, Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland;Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Germany

关键词: Amoebae;    Dictyostelium discoideum;    Effector protein;    Endoplasmic Reticulum;    endosome;    GTPase;    host-pathogen interaction;    Legionella;    macrophage;    pathogen vacuole;    phosphoinositide lipid;    retrograde transport;    Secretory Pathway;    Type IV secretion;    vesicle trafficking;    Autophagy;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fcimb.2018.00061

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Environmental bacteria of the genus Legionella naturally parasitize free-living amoebae. Upon inhalation of bacteria-laden aerosols, the opportunistic pathogens grow intracellularly in alveolar macrophages and can cause a life-threatening pneumonia termed Legionnaires’ disease. Intracellular replication in amoebae and macrophages takes place in a unique membrane-bound compartment, the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV). LCV formation requires the bacterial Icm/Dot type IV secretion system, which translocates literally hundreds of “effector” proteins into host cells, where they modulate crucial cellular processes for the pathogen’s benefit. The mechanism of LCV formation appears to be evolutionarily conserved, and therefore, amoebae are not only ecologically significant niches for Legionella spp., but also useful cellular models for eukaryotic phagocytes. In particular, Acanthamoeba castellanii and Dictyostelium discoideum emerged over the last years as versatile and powerful models. Using genetic, biochemical and cell biological approaches, molecular interactions between amoebae and Legionella pneumophila have recently been investigated in detail with a focus on the role of phosphoinositide lipids, small and large GTPases, protein kinases and the retromer complex, as well as on bacterial effectors targeting these host factors.

【 授权许可】

CC BY