The bacteria responsible for legionellosis modulates the host cell metabolism to its advantage

(Institut Pasteur) Scientists at the Institut Pasteur, CNRS and Inserm, together with a team from Switzerland, have shown that the bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila has developed a specific strategy to target the host cell mitochondria, the organelles in charge of cellular bioenergetics. This work provides precious information on how a pathogen manipulates the cellular metabolism to replicate intracellularly, and proposes a new concept of protection of host cells from Legionella-induced mitochondrial changes in order to fight infection.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news