MicroRNA-27a controls the intracellular survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by regulating calcium-associated autophagy.
Nat Commun 2018;
9:4295. [PMID:
30327467 PMCID:
PMC6191460 DOI:
10.1038/s41467-018-06836-4]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) kills millions every year, and there is urgent need to develop novel anti-TB agents due to the fast-growing of drug-resistant TB. Although autophagy regulates the intracellular survival of Mtb, the role of calcium (Ca2+) signaling in modulating autophagy during Mtb infection remains largely unknown. Here, we show that microRNA miR-27a is abundantly expressed in active TB patients, Mtb-infected mice and macrophages. The target of miR-27a is the ER-located Ca2+ transporter CACNA2D3. Targeting of this transporter leads to the downregulation of Ca2+ signaling, thus inhibiting autophagosome formation and promoting the intracellular survival of Mtb. Mice lacking of miR-27a and mice treated with an antagomir to miR-27a are more resistant to Mtb infection. Our findings reveal a strategy for Mtb to increase intracellular survival by manipulating the Ca2+-associated autophagy, and may also support the development of host-directed anti-TB therapeutic approaches.
How Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) escapes autophagy-mediated clearance is poorly understood. Here, Liu et al. show that Mtb-induced MicroRNA-27a targets the ER-associated calcium transporter CACNA2D3, leading to suppression of antimicrobial autophagy and to enhanced intracellular survival of Mtb.
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