The Flagellar Regulon of Legionella pneumophila and the Expression of Virulence Traits
Klaus Heuner and Christiane Albert-Weissenberger
from: Legionella: Molecular Microbiology (Edited by: Klaus Heuner and Michele Swanson). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2008)
Abstract
Legionella is a ubiquitious inhabitant of aquatic habitats, and it is believed that motility is an important feature in the life cycle of L. pneumophila in its environment. To survive, L. pneumophila must be able to respond to different environmental factors and to modulate gene expression. Furthermore, very early after the first report of Legionnaires' disease, researchers discovered that most Legionella strains are flagellated and that regulation of the flagellum and the expression of virulence traits are linked. Expression of the flagellum is modulated by various environmental factors. The flagellar regulon, comprised of genes encoding the structural components of the flagellum, is controlled by a cascade of regulators. This chapter will focus on the composition of the flagellar complex and the regulation of flagellar operons, including the virulence traits of L. pneumophila that are coordinately expressed with the flagellar genes. The contribution of the flagellar system to the virulence of L. pneumophila will also be discussed read more ...
