Innate Immune Bypass of Translation Inhibition Upon Cellular Challenge by Legionella Pneumophila

Translation inhibition is a common virulence mechanism used by a number of pathogens (e.g. Diphtheria Toxin, Shiga Toxin and Pseudomonas Exotoxin A). It has been a mystery how host cells mount a pathogen-specific response and clear infection under conditions where protein synthesis is blocked by pathogens. Using Legionella pneumophila as a model, a bacterium that efficiently blocks the host protein translation machinery, we elucidate the global kinetics of blockage and identify the spectrum of genes that host cells transcribe and selectively translate after Legionella significantly alters protein synthesis.