Bacteria responsible for legionellosis modulates the host cell metabolism to its advantage

The bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila has developed a specific strategy to target the host cell mitochondria, the organelles in charge of cellular bioenergetics, scientists have shown. New work provides precious information on how a pathogen manipulates the cellular metabolism to replicate intracellularly, and proposes a new concept of protection of host cells from Legionella-induced mitochondrial changes in order to fight infection.