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Infection of Nonphagocytic Host Cells by Legionella

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Legionella

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 954))

Abstract

Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular pathogen of free-living protozoa that can also infect alveolar macrophages, L929 fibroblast cells, and HeLa cells. Infection of nonphagocytic cells by L. pneumophila can be used to study invasion mechanisms, compare infectivity of different strains and identify factors important for virulence. Virulent strains of L. pneumophila exposed to monolayers of L929 cells are able to invade and form virus-like plaques, which can be enumerated as a measure of infectivity. Invasiveness of HeLa cells can also be used to evaluate relative infectivity and to study mechanisms of invasion and to track the development of cyst-like forms. The detailed methods of both the L929 plaque assay and HeLa cell invasion assay are described.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Shandra R. Day & Paul S. Hoffman

  2. Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Costi D. Sifri

Authors
  1. Shandra R. Day
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  2. Costi D. Sifri
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  3. Paul S. Hoffman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul S. Hoffman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Biology of Intracellular Bacteria, Institut Pasteur, Rue du Dr. Roux 28, Paris, 75724, France

    Carmen Buchrieser

  2. Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Pettenkoferstrasse 9a, Munich, 80336, Germany

    Hubert Hilbi

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Day, S.R., Sifri, C.D., Hoffman, P.S. (2013). Infection of Nonphagocytic Host Cells by Legionella . In: Buchrieser, C., Hilbi, H. (eds) Legionella. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 954. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-161-5_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-161-5_28

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-160-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-161-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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