# The role of a Legionella pneumophila gene cluster during infection of mammalian hosts

> **NIH NIH F31** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $31,607

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract
 Infections caused by intracellular bacteria pose a substantial threat to global health by subverting
the immune system to replicate inside host cells. Legionella pneumophila is an excellent system for
studying host-pathogen interactions because its ability to infect diverse protozoan species has enabled its
emergence as an opportunistic pathogen of humans. Critical early steps in infection are mediated by the
Type IV secretion system, including evasion of lysosomal degradation and recruitment of specific host
factors to build a protected pathogen-containing vacuole. However, the mechanisms supporting L.
pneumophila survival and replication in this niche remain poorly understood. To address this problem, a
genetic screen was performed to identify determinants of bacterial fitness during infection of murine
macrophages. Among the significant results was a cluster of seven genes that are required for optimal
replication of L. pneumophila in macrophages. The predicted products of these genes are a putative,
uncharacterized transport system, two nucleotide-modifying enzymes, and a hypothetical protein. The goal
of the proposed study is to closely examine the contribution of this genetic locus to fitness during infection
by using genetic complementation analyses, animal infection models, and RNA-sequencing to understand
its role in the interaction between L. pneumophila and a host cell. Through the training plans devised for
this fellowship, the support of my thesis advisor, Dr. Craig Roy, and the collegial atmosphere of the Yale
microbiology department, I will be in an ideal position to advance our knowledge of mechanisms supporting
L. pneumophila pathogenesis and prepare for the next step in my scientific career.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10424386
- **Project number:** 5F31AI157221-02
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Caitlin Moss
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $31,607
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-01-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10424386

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10424386, The role of a Legionella pneumophila gene cluster during infection of mammalian hosts (5F31AI157221-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10424386. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*