Molecular Mechanisms in Legionella Pathogenesis

Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially fatal type of pneumonia primarily affecting elderly and immuno-compromised persons, is caused by the ubiquitous environmental bacterium Legionella pneumophila . This book offers authoritative reviews of different facets of its virulence, focusing on comparative phagocyte infection, virulence gene regulation, biochemical functions of effector proteins and cellular pathogen-host interactions, as well as host responses and immunity to L. pneumophila . Taken together, the contributions in this compilation provide a state-of-the-art overview of current insights into the molecular pathogenesis of the opportunistic and potentially fatal pathogen L. pneumophila .