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Query: UMLS:C0023241 (Legionella)
 6,990 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Legionellae have been found to be highly susceptible to a variety of biological products, which increases the difficulty of growing these microorganisms. We developed a hypotonic medium in which Legionella pneumophila and other legionellae grow well and multiply rapidly from small inocula. Several amino acids, mainly nonessential ones, inhibited the growth of legionellae at high concentrations (200-1,000 micrograms/ml). We describe a unique biological phenomenon of specific inhibition of growth of L. pneumophila by the plant growth hormone auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) and the closely related indole-3-propionic acid (IPA). The inhibition of growth was probably due to interference with the biosynthesis of L-tryptophan by the phytohormone or IPA. Other bacteria were found to be 50 to 100-fold more resistant to these agents. These findings may explain the peculiar ecology of legionellae. Bacterial susceptibility towards IPA (less than or equal to 5 micrograms/ml) may serve as a specific marker for the presence of legionellae.
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PMID:Phytohormones as specific inhibitors of Legionella pneumophila growth. 234 83

Serospecific antigens isolated by EDTA extraction from four serogroups of Legionella pneumophila were analyzed for their chemical composition, molecular heterogeneity by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and immunological properties. The antigens were shown to be lipopolysaccharides and to differ from the lipopolysaccharides of other gram-negative bacteria. The serospecific antigens contained rhamnose, mannose, glucosamine, and two unidentified sugars together with 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate, phosphate, and fatty acids. The fatty acid composition was predominantly branched-chain acids with smaller amounts of 3-hydroxymyristic acid. The antigens contain periodate-sensitive groups; mannosyl residues were completely cleaved by periodate oxidation. Hydrolysis of the total lipopolysaccharide by acetic acid resulted in the separation of a lipid A-like material that cross-reacted with the antiserum to lipid A from Salmonella minnesota but did not comigrate with it on sodium dodecyl sulfate gels. None of the four antigens contained heptose. All of the antigen preparations showed endotoxicity when tested by the Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. The results of this study indicate that the serogroup-specific antigens of L. pneumophila are lipopolysaccharides containing an unusual lipid A and core structure and different from those of other gram-negative bacteria.
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PMID:Serospecific antigens of Legionella pneumophila. 301 18

We previously reported that certain constituents in brewed coffee exhibited antibacterial activities against a strain of Legionella pneumophila. The constituents showing antibacterial activities were included only in extracts cold with water or hot water. To determine the antibacterial substances in coffee extract, the extract was fractionated by HPLC using a UV/photodiode array detector. The optimum HPLC conditions for analysis were UV wavelength of 250 nm and eluents of methanol/acetic acid (10/90), pH 3.0. When several fractions separated by HPLC were investigated for antibacterial activities against L. pneumophila, it was found that three peak fractions exhibited strong antibacterial activities. Each product from these fractions was analyzed by NMR and LC-mass spectrometry, and the chemical structure of each was determined. It was shown that the antibacterial substances was were protocatechuic acid (3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid), chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid.
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PMID:[Identification of chemical structure of antibacterial components against Legionella pneumophila in a coffee beverage]. 1213 45

Legionella pneumophila is a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium and causes legionnaire's disease an -atypical pneumonia in humans. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the main antigen of Gram-negative bacteria but is less studied because of its carbohydrate nature. Here, we immunized mice with detoxified LPS and O-antigen polysaccharide in combination with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and explored the immunological responses of mice to the bacterial infection. LPS of L. pneumophila was extracted by hot phenol-water method. Purified LPS was detoxified by sodium hydroxide alkaline procedure. O-polysaccharide antigen (OPS) obtained by acetic acid treatment of LPS. BALB/c mice were immunized mainly with non-covalent combination of detoxified LPS (dLPS) or OPS with BSA separately. Pure polysaccharide antigens did not elicit significant serum IgG against LPS. Combination of the dLPS and OPS with BSA resulted in risen IgG and its subclasses (IgG1 and IgG2a) against lipopolysaccharide. Mice were challenged intravenously with sublethal dose of L. pneumpphila. Then, splenocytes were cultured and cytokine responses of splenocytes to pathogenic Legionella was studied by ELISA. Mice immunized with combination of the dLPS or OPS and BSA showed significant elevation of cytokine responses to pathogenic L. pneumophila. Our results suggest that combination of the polysaccharide antigen derived from Legionella LPS may confer raised cell-mediated responses against the pathogen when combined with a protein antigen which is capable of eliciting cell-mediated responses. Although not covalently bond, Legionella polysaccharides combined with BSA effectively elicited Th-1 type cytokines and humoral responses against L. pneumophila in BALB/c mice.
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PMID:Investigating the role of L. pnuemophila LPS derivatives in formation of specific cell-mediated immune responses against the pathogen. 3268 38