Legionella and Acanthamoeba research

This study identifies host-specific mutations in Legionella pneumophila through experimental evolution in two hosts, revealing adaptations in ribosomal proteins and LPS synthesis.

This study identifies pathogenic free-living amoebae in Ghana's freshwater using culture-enriched metabarcoding, revealing clinically relevant species and highlighting public health risks.

This study improves a viability assay for Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites to measure pseudocyst formation induced by drugs.

This study develops a high-throughput assay to assess drug sensitivity of Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts and identifies five active agents.

The paper systematically investigates interactions between marine bacteria and protists, revealing that some bacteria can survive, grow, or even lyse their protist predators.

This study tracks Legionella pneumophila in a building's water system over 25 years, finding all isolates belong to ST45 and show limited genetic diversity despite repeated decontamination efforts.

The paper tests virulence variation among Naegleria fowleri isolates using a mouse model and in vitro assays, finding significant differences in disease onset and mortality.

This study shows LAI-1, a signaling molecule from Legionella pneumophila, interacts with GBP in D. discoideum to inhibit migration and restrict bacterial growth.

The paper identifies a novel F-actin binding motif in Lfat1, a Legionella effector, using cryo-EM and shows its lysine fatty-acyltransferase activity.

This study identifies synergistic roles of DksA and PsrA in Legionella pneumophila virulence using Acanthamoeba castellanii, showing their combined impact on bacterial growth and transmissive phase traits.

This study shows that AmgK, a peptidoglycan kinase in Legionella pneumophila, is essential for intracellular survival and replication in host macrophages, highlighting its role in pathogenicity and potential as a drug target.

The paper examines Amoebozoa diversity and predation on vibrios in Mediterranean coastal environments, finding distinct communities and varying predation capacities across sites and species.

This paper investigates how nitroxoline induces genomic instability, transcriptional collapse, and incomplete encystment in Balamuthia mandrillaris by chelating copper and iron.

This study investigates the anti-Acanthamoeba effects of licorice-derived compounds, showing that isoliquiritigenin and glabridin inhibit growth through apoptosis induction and metabolic pathway modulation.

This study evaluates cyclic peptides as inhibitors of Balamuthia mandrillaris, finding eight compounds with IC50 <5 μM and minimal cytotoxicity.

This study identifies small RNAs from Naegleria fowleri that can be detected in liquid biopsies and serve as early diagnostic biomarkers for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.

This study shows nitroxoline reduces Acanthamoeba castellanii viability, induces apoptosis, and alters gene expression related to DNA damage and stress response pathways.

This study investigates how Legionella pneumophila responds to copper stress in water systems, finding that the LetAS system and host cell presence influence copper resistance.

This study investigates Legionella persistence in anoxic freshwater conditions, revealing seasonal abundance shifts, unique genotypes, and altered host interactions in a stratified lake.

This study shows Legionella pneumophila transforms the host ER membrane into a distinct rER niche using Rab GTPases and BAP31.

The paper provides a global atlas of predicted functional domains in Legionella pneumophila effectors using 3D structure prediction, identifying novel domains and demonstrating their functional impact.

This study investigates the secretion mechanism of transmembrane effector proteins by Legionella T4bSS, revealing a two-step process involving an inner membrane intermediate.

The paper uses a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify novel effector-effector interactions in L. pneumophila, doubling the known number of such interactions.

This study identifies novel environmental chlamydiae in wild amoebae, revealing their host specificity and expanding the known chlamydial host range.

This study expands the Legionellaceae family by identifying new species and highlights the need for taxonomic restructuring based on genomic and clinical data.

The paper identifies four Acanthamoeba cyst wall proteins and a mannose-binding domain as diagnostic targets for detecting cysts and trophozoites in eye infections.

This study shows that three Fis proteins in L. pneumophila regulate virulence genes through distinct and cooperative mechanisms, rather than as redundant backups.

The paper identifies LegA7 as a cysteine protease in L. pneumophila that regulates MAPK pathway activation through conserved residues and ankyrin repeats.

The paper identifies 63 ART-like proteins in 41 Legionella species, organized into 39 families, including 26 novel ones, and proposes a database for further study.

This study compares two DNA extraction methods for Legionella quantification in water samples, finding significant differences in DNA yield and detection rates.