Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding the major cell-associated phospholipase A of Legionella pneumophila, plaB, exhibiting hemolytic activity.

ABSTRACT: Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, is an intracellular pathogen of amoebae, macrophages, and epithelial cells. The pathology of Legionella infections involves alveolar cell destruction, and several proteins of L. pneumophila are known to contribute to this ability. By screening a genomic library of L. pneumophila, we found an additional L. pneumophila gene, plaB, which coded for a hemolytic activity and contained a lipase consensus motif in its deduced protein sequence. Moreover, Escherichia coli harboring the L. pneumophila plaB gene showed increased activity in releasing fatty acids predominantly from diacylphospho- and lysophospholipids, demonstrating that it encodes a phospholipase A. It has been reported that culture supernatants and cell lysates of

SUBMITTER: Flieger A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC387885 | biostudies-literature | 2004 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature