Population analysis of Legionella pneumophila reveals a basis for resistance to complement-mediated killing

Bryan A. Wee; Joana Alves; Diane S. J. Lindsay; Ann-Brit Klatt; Fiona A. Sargison; Ross L. Cameron; Amy Pickering; Jamie Gorzynski; Jukka Corander; Pekka Marttinen; Bastian Opitz; Andrew J. Smith; J. Ross Fitzgerald

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-27478-z

Nature Communications (Dec 2021)

Population analysis of Legionella pneumophila reveals a basis for resistance to complement-mediated killing

Bryan A. Wee,
Joana Alves,
Diane S. J. Lindsay,
Ann-Brit Klatt,
Fiona A. Sargison,
Ross L. Cameron,
Amy Pickering,
Jamie Gorzynski,
Jukka Corander,
Pekka Marttinen,
Bastian Opitz,
Andrew J. Smith,
J. Ross Fitzgerald

Affiliations

Bryan A. Wee: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
Joana Alves: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
Diane S. J. Lindsay: Bacterial Respiratory Infections Service (Ex Mycobacteria), Scottish Microbiology Reference Laboratory
Ann-Brit Klatt: Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Fiona A. Sargison: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
Ross L. Cameron: NHS National Services Scotland, Health Protection Scotland
Amy Pickering: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
Jamie Gorzynski: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh
Jukka Corander: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki
Pekka Marttinen: Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, Department of Computer Science, Aalto University
Bastian Opitz: Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Andrew J. Smith: Bacterial Respiratory Infections Service (Ex Mycobacteria), Scottish Microbiology Reference Laboratory
J. Ross Fitzgerald: The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27478-z
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 13

Abstract

Read online

The bacterium Legionella pneumophila can cause severe respiratory infection, but is typically a symbiont of free-living amoeba. Here, the authors analyse the genomes of 902 clinical and environmental isolates, and identify a bacterial gene that is strongly associated with human infection and confers resistance to complement-mediated killing.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

About the journal