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Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Use of Galleria mellonella as a Model Organism to Study Legionella pneumophila Infection
Published on: November 22, 2013
The amoebal MAP kinase response to Legionella pneumophila is regulated by DupA
Zhiru Li1, Aisling S Dugan, Gareth Bloomfield
1Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Abstract:
The amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum can support replication of Legionella pneumophila. Here we identify the dupA gene, encoding a putative tyrosine kinase/dual-specificity phosphatase, in a screen for D. discoideum mutants altered in allowing L. pneumophila intracellular replication. Inactivation of dupA resulted in depressed L. pneumophila growth and sustained hyperphosphorylation of the amoebal MAP kinase ERK1, consistent with loss of a phosphatase activity. Bacterial challenge of wild-type amoebae induced dupA expression and resulted in transiently increased ERK1 phosphorylation, suggesting that dupA and ERK1 are part of a response to bacteria. Indeed, over 500 of the genes misregulated in the dupA(-) mutant were regulated in response to L. pneumophila infection, including some thought to have immune-like functions. MAP kinase phosphatases are known to be highly upregulated in macrophages challenged with L. pneumophila. Thus, DupA may regulate a MAP kinase response to bacteria that is conserved from amoebae to mammals.
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