The pathogenic bacterium Legionella pneumophila infects lung macrophages and environmental amoebae. Here, Personnic et al. show that the pathogen reversibly forms virulent, antibiotic-tolerant subpopulations during infection of macrophages and amoebae, in a process regulated by the Lqs quorum-sensing system.
- Nicolas Personnic
- Bianca Striednig
- Hubert Hilbi