Deletion of potD, encoding a putative spermidine-binding protein, results in a complex phenotype in Legionella pneumophila.

L. pneumophila is an intracellular pathogen that replicates in a membrane-bound compartment known as the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV). We previously observed that the polyamine spermidine, produced by host cells or added exogenously, enhances the intracellular growth of L.