Anti-LPS (Legionella pneumophila), mAb (rec.) (PHK121-H2)

Legionella are flagellated Gram-negative bacteria that belong to the class of gamma-proteobacteria. They are ubiquitously present in water habitats, including natural and man-made reservoirs where they infect and parasitize protozoa. In the host, a specialized compartment is formed, that enables replication of Legionella. When humans inhale aerosolized water contaminated with Legionella, alveolar macrophages can be infected, which may lead to a lifethreatening pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease. Due to the universal distribution of Legionella in water and their potential threat to human health, the Legionella concentration in water for human use must be strictly monitored, which is difficult since the standard detection still relies on lengthy cultivation and analysis of bacterial morphology. Specific and fast detection of L. pneumophila based on a highly stable antibody-based assay would be potentially useful.