Legionella pneumophila is a protypical example of an emerging infectious disease threat. Recent exciting data from several labs have indicated that type I interferons (IFNs) are an important signature of infection with many, if not all, intracellular pathogens. Our hypothesis is that a cytosolic surveillance pathway detects Legionella-derived ligands in the cytosol leading to the transcriptional induction of type I IFNs and coregulated genes. Preliminary data indicate that type I interferons are induced by Legionella in a manner dependent on L. pneumophila's type IV (Dot/Icm) secretion system. We also find that type I interferons are required to restrict intracellular replication of Legionella. The putative Legionella-derived ligand that stimulates host production of interferon is unknown, but our preliminary studies have identified Mda5 as a key host sensor of L. pneumophila. Since Mda5 is a cytosolic sensor of RNA, our finding suggests the exciting possibility that L. pneumophila may translocate bacterial RNA into the host cell cytosol. Even if a non-RNA ligand from L. pneumophila is sensed by Mda5, our results challenge existing paradigms since Mda5 is widely believed to be solely a sensor of viruses, rather than of bacteria. Thus, our specific aims are: 1. Identify and characterize molecular determinants of L. pneumophila that positively or negatively regulate host production of type I interferon. 2. Characterize the host pathways that sense L. pneumophila in the cytosol, leading to transcriptional induction of type I interferon and other genes. 3. Determine the role of cytosolic sensing and type I interferons in innate immunity against L. pneumophila using in vitro and in vivo models.

Public Health Relevance

Legionella pneumophila is a bacterium that replicates in host cells called macrophages, thereby causing a severe, and often lethal, pneumonia called Legionnaires'Disease. In this proposal we seek to use Legionella as a model for understanding how macrophages sense and defend against infection, with the ultimate goal of using this information to develop more effective therapeutics and vaccines.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI080749-04
Application #
8260351
Study Section
Immunity and Host Defense Study Section (IHD)
Program Officer
Palker, Thomas J
Project Start
2009-05-01
Project End
2014-03-31
Budget Start
2012-05-01
Budget End
2013-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$323,854
Indirect Cost
$103,331
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
124726725
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704
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