Post-Translational Modifications of Host Proteins by Legionella Pneumophila: A Sophisticated Survival Strategy

Abstract

Eukaryotic proteins are tightly regulated by post-translational modifications, leading to a very subtle degree of regulation in time and space. Pathogen-mediated post-translational modifications are key strategies to modulate host factors by targeting central signaling pathways in the host cell. Legionella pneumophila, an intracellular pathogen that coevolved with protozoan hosts, encodes a large arsenal of secreted effectors conferring the ability to evade host cellular defenses and to manipulate them to promote invasion and intracellular replication. Conservation of many signaling pathways of protozoa in human macrophages confers the ability of L. pneumophila to infect humans, causing a severe pneumonia called legionnaires‘ disease. Most of the secreted proteins are delivered by the Dot/Icm type IV secretion system and several of these have been shown to act on different cellular pathways critical for infection. Moreover, multiple effectors target a single host function to orchestrate bacterial survival. In this review, we focus on those effectors in the repertoire of L. pneumophila proteins that target key cellular pathways by specific post-translational modifications.

Keywords:

• bacterial effector
• host-signaling pathway
• Legionella pneumophila
• post-translational modification

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work received financial support from the Institut Pasteur, the Centre National de la Recherche (CNRS) and the Institut Carnot–Pasteur MI. M Rolando was financed by the ANR project FunGen in the frame of the ERA-Net PathoGenoMics and subsequently by a Roux contract financed by the Institut Pasteur. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work received financial support from the Institut Pasteur, the Centre National de la Recherche (CNRS) and the Institut Carnot–Pasteur MI. M Rolando was financed by the ANR project FunGen in the frame of the ERA Net PathoGenoMics and subsequently by a Roux contract financed by the Institut Pasteur. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.