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dos Santos PMF, Díaz Acosta CC, Rosa TLSA, Ishiba MH, Dias AA, Pereira AMR, Gutierres LD, Pereira MP, da Silva Rocha M, Rosa PS, Bertoluci DFF, Meyer-Fernandes JR, da Mota Ramalho Costa F, Marques MAM, Belisle JT, Pinheiro RO, Rodrigues LS, Pessolani MCV, Berrêdo-Pinho M. Adenosine A 2A receptor as a potential regulator of Mycobacterium leprae survival mechanisms: new insights into leprosy neural damage. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1399363. [PMID: 39005937 PMCID: PMC11239521 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1399363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which can lead to a disabling neurodegenerative condition. M. leprae preferentially infects skin macrophages and Schwann cells-glial cells of the peripheral nervous system. The infection modifies the host cell lipid metabolism, subverting it in favor of the formation of cholesterol-rich lipid droplets (LD) that are essential for bacterial survival. Although researchers have made progress in understanding leprosy pathogenesis, many aspects of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of host-pathogen interaction still require clarification. The purinergic system utilizes extracellular ATP and adenosine as critical signaling molecules and plays several roles in pathophysiological processes. Furthermore, nucleoside surface receptors such as the adenosine receptor A2AR involved in neuroimmune response, lipid metabolism, and neuron-glia interaction are targets for the treatment of different diseases. Despite the importance of this system, nothing has been described about its role in leprosy, particularly adenosinergic signaling (AdoS) during M. leprae-Schwann cell interaction. Methods M. leprae was purified from the hind footpad of athymic nu/nu mice. ST88-14 human cells were infected with M. leprae in the presence or absence of specific agonists or antagonists of AdoS. Enzymatic activity assays, fluorescence microscopy, Western blotting, and RT-qPCR analysis were performed. M. leprae viability was investigated by RT-qPCR, and cytokines were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results We demonstrated that M. leprae-infected Schwann cells upregulated CD73 and ADA and downregulated A2AR expression and the phosphorylation of the transcription factor CREB (p-CREB). On the other hand, activation of A2AR with its selective agonist, CGS21680, resulted in: 1) reduced lipid droplets accumulation and pro-lipogenic gene expression; 2) reduced production of IL-6 and IL-8; 3) reduced intracellular M. leprae viability; 4) increased levels of p-CREB. Conclusion These findings suggest the involvement of the AdoS in leprosy neuropathogenesis and support the idea that M. leprae, by downmodulating the expression and activity of A2AR in Schwann cells, decreases A2AR downstream signaling, contributing to the maintenance of LD accumulation and intracellular viability of the bacillus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chyntia Carolina Díaz Acosta
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
| | | | - Michelle Harumi Ishiba
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - André Alves Dias
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Luísa Domingos Gutierres
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Melissa Pontes Pereira
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Matheus da Silva Rocha
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Daniele F. F. Bertoluci
- Divisão de Pesquisa e Ensino, Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima, São Paulo, Brazil
- Departamento de Doenças Tropicais, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Meyer-Fernandes
- Laboratório de Bioquímica Celular, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Angela M. Marques
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - John T. Belisle
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Roberta Olmo Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Hanseníase, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luciana Silva Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Marcia Berrêdo-Pinho
- Laboratório de Microbiologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Roth AT, Philips JA, Chandra P. The role of cholesterol and its oxidation products in tuberculosis pathogenesis. IMMUNOMETABOLISM (COBHAM, SURREY) 2024; 6:e00042. [PMID: 38693938 PMCID: PMC11060060 DOI: 10.1097/in9.0000000000000042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis (TB), one of the world's most deadly infections. Lipids play an important role in M. tuberculosis pathogenesis. M. tuberculosis grows intracellularly within lipid-laden macrophages and extracellularly within the cholesterol-rich caseum of necrotic granulomas and pulmonary cavities. Evolved from soil saprophytes that are able to metabolize cholesterol from organic matter in the environment, M. tuberculosis inherited an extensive and highly conserved machinery to metabolize cholesterol. M. tuberculosis uses this machinery to degrade host cholesterol; the products of cholesterol degradation are incorporated into central carbon metabolism and used to generate cell envelope lipids, which play important roles in virulence. The host also modifies cholesterol by enzymatically oxidizing it to a variety of derivatives, collectively called oxysterols, which modulate cholesterol homeostasis and the immune response. Recently, we found that M. tuberculosis converts host cholesterol to an oxidized metabolite, cholestenone, that accumulates in the lungs of individuals with TB. M. tuberculosis encodes cholesterol-modifying enzymes, including a hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, a putative cholesterol oxidase, and numerous cytochrome P450 monooxygenases. Here, we review what is known about cholesterol and its oxidation products in the pathogenesis of TB. We consider the possibility that the biological function of cholesterol metabolism by M. tuberculosis extends beyond a nutritional role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T. Roth
- Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Philips
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Pallavi Chandra
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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de Souza FG, da Silva MB, de Araújo GS, Silva CS, Pinheiro AHG, Cáceres-Durán MÁ, Santana-da-Silva MN, Pinto P, Gobbo AR, da Costa PF, Salgado CG, Ribeiro-Dos-Santos Â, Cavalcante GC. Whole mitogenome sequencing uncovers a relation between mitochondrial heteroplasmy and leprosy severity. Hum Genomics 2023; 17:110. [PMID: 38062538 PMCID: PMC10704783 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00555-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, the mitochondria/immune system interaction has been proposed, so that variants of mitochondrial genome and levels of heteroplasmy might deregulate important metabolic processes in fighting infections, such as leprosy. METHODS We sequenced the whole mitochondrial genome to investigate variants and heteroplasmy levels, considering patients with different clinical forms of leprosy and household contacts. After sequencing, a specific pipeline was used for preparation and bioinformatics analysis to select heteroplasmic variants. RESULTS We found 116 variants in at least two of the subtypes of the case group (Borderline Tuberculoid, Borderline Lepromatous, Lepromatous), suggesting a possible clinical significance to these variants. Notably, 15 variants were exclusively found in these three clinical forms, of which five variants stand out for being missense (m.3791T > C in MT-ND1, m.5317C > A in MT-ND2, m.8545G > A in MT-ATP8, m.9044T > C in MT-ATP6 and m.15837T > C in MT-CYB). In addition, we found 26 variants shared only by leprosy poles, of which two are characterized as missense (m.4248T > C in MT-ND1 and m.8027G > A in MT-CO2). CONCLUSION We found a significant number of variants and heteroplasmy levels in the leprosy patients from our cohort, as well as six genes that may influence leprosy susceptibility, suggesting for the first time that the mitogenome might be involved with the leprosy process, distinction of clinical forms and severity. Thus, future studies are needed to help understand the genetic consequences of these variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Gouvea de Souza
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Moisés Batista da Silva
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, PA, 67105-290, Brazil
| | - Gilderlanio S de Araújo
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Caio S Silva
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Andrey Henrique Gama Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Miguel Ángel Cáceres-Durán
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Mayara Natália Santana-da-Silva
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Pablo Pinto
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Angélica Rita Gobbo
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, PA, 67105-290, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Fagundes da Costa
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, PA, 67105-290, Brazil
| | - Claudio Guedes Salgado
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, PA, 67105-290, Brazil
| | - Ândrea Ribeiro-Dos-Santos
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - Giovanna C Cavalcante
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil.
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Brügger LMDO, dos Santos MML, Lara FA, Mietto BS. What happens when Schwann cells are exposed to Mycobacterium leprae - A systematic review. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2023; 15:11-16. [PMID: 38204570 PMCID: PMC10776321 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2023.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium leprae, the pathogen that causes human leprosy, has a unique affinity for infecting and persisting inside Schwann cells, the principal glia of the peripheral nervous system. Several studies have focused on this intricate host-pathogen interaction as an attempt to advance the current knowledge of the mechanisms governing nerve destruction and disease progression. However, during the chronic course of leprosy neuropathy, Schwann cells can respond to and internalize both live and dead M. leprae and bacilli-derived antigens, and this may result in divergent cellular pathobiological responses. This may also distinctly contribute to tissue degeneration, failure to repair, inflammatory reactions, and nerve fibrosis, hallmarks of the disease. Therefore, the present study systematically searched for published studies on M. leprae-Schwann cell interaction in vitro to summarize the findings and provide a focused discussion of Schwann cell dynamics following challenge with leprosy bacilli.
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5
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Werman J, Chen YC, Yuan T, Yang X, Sampson NS. A Chemoproteomic Approach to Elucidate the Mechanism of Action of 6-Azasteroids with Unique Activity in Mycobacteria. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1993-2004. [PMID: 37774412 PMCID: PMC10580313 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
By illuminating key 6-azasteroid-protein interactions in both Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and the closely related model organism Mycobacterium marinum (Mm), we sought to improve the antimycobacterial potency of 6-azasteroids and further our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for their potentiation of the antituberculosis drug bedaquiline. We selected a newly developed 6-azasteroid analog and an analog reported previously (ACS Infect. Dis. 2019, 5 (7), 1239-1251) to study their phenotypic effects on Mtb and Mm, both alone and in combination with bedaquiline. The 6-azasteroid analog, 17β-[N-(4-trifluoromethoxy-diphenylmethyl)carbamoyl]-6-propyl-azaandrostan-3-one, robustly potentiated bedaquiline-mediated antimycobacterial activity, with a nearly 8-fold reduction in Mm bedaquiline minimal inhibitory concentration (85 nM alone versus 11 nM with 20 μM 6-azasteroid). This analog displayed minimal inhibitory activity against recombinant mycobacterial 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, a previously identified target of several 6-azasteroids. Dose-dependent potentiation of bedaquiline by this analog reduced mycobacterial intracellular ATP levels and impeded the ability of Mtb to neutralize exogenous oxidative stress in culture. We developed two 6-azasteroid photoaffinity probes to investigate azasteroid-protein interactions in Mm whole cells. Using bottom-up mass spectrometric profiling of the cross-linked proteins, we identified eight potential Mm/Mtb protein targets for 6-azasteroids. The nature of these potential targets indicates that proteins related to oxidative stress resistance play a key role in the BDQ-potentiating activity of azasteroids and highlights the potential impact of inhibition of these targets on the generation of drug sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua
M. Werman
- Department
of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Yu-Ching Chen
- Program
in Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony
Brook, New York 11794-5215, United States
| | - Tianao Yuan
- Department
of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Xinxin Yang
- Department
of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Nicole S. Sampson
- Department
of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627-0216, United States
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6
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de Souza BJ, Mendes MA, Sperandio da Silva GM, Sammarco-Rosa P, de Moraes MO, Jardim MR, Sarno EN, Pinheiro RO, Mietto BS. Gene Expression Profile of Mycobacterium leprae Contribution in the Pathology of Leprosy Neuropathy. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:861586. [PMID: 35492305 PMCID: PMC9051340 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.861586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral neuropathy is the main cause of physical disability in leprosy patients. Importantly, the extension and pattern of peripheral damage has been linked to how the host cell will respond against Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) infection, in particular, how the pathogen will establish infection in Schwann cells. Interestingly, viable and dead M. leprae have been linked to neuropathology of leprosy by distinct mechanisms. While viable M. leprae promotes transcriptional modifications that allow the bacteria to survive through the use of the host cell's internal machinery and the subvert of host metabolites, components of the dead bacteria are associated with the generation of a harmful nerve microenvironment. Therefore, understanding the pathognomonic characteristics mediated by viable and dead M. leprae are essential for elucidating leprosy disease and its associated reactional episodes. Moreover, the impact of the viable and dead bacteria in Schwann cells is largely unknown and their gene signature profiling has, as yet, been poorly explored. In this study, we analyzed the early differences in the expression profile of genes involved in peripheral neuropathy, dedifferentiation and plasticity, neural regeneration, and inflammation in human Schwann cells challenged with viable and dead M. leprae. We substantiated our findings by analyzing this genetic profiling in human nerve biopsies of leprosy and non-leprosy patients, with accompanied histopathological analysis. We observed that viable and dead bacteria distinctly modulate Schwann cell genes, with emphasis to viable bacilli upregulating transcripts related to glial cell plasticity, dedifferentiation and anti-inflammatory profile, while dead bacteria affected genes involved in neuropathy and pro-inflammatory response. In addition, dead bacteria also upregulated genes associated with nerve support, which expression profile was similar to those obtained from leprosy nerve biopsies. These findings suggest that early exposure to viable and dead bacteria may provoke Schwann cells to behave differentially, with far-reaching implications for the ongoing neuropathy seen in leprosy patients, where a mixture of active and non-active bacteria are found in the nerve microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mayara Abud Mendes
- Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Bruno Siqueira Mietto
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Bruno Siqueira Mietto
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Nandi SK, Panda AK, Chakraborty A, Rathee S, Roy I, Barik S, Mohapatra SS, Biswas A. Role of ATP-Small Heat Shock Protein Interaction in Human Diseases. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:844826. [PMID: 35252358 PMCID: PMC8890618 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.844826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an important fuel of life for humans and Mycobacterium species. Its potential role in modulating cellular functions and implications in systemic, pulmonary, and ocular diseases is well studied. Plasma ATP has been used as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker owing to its close association with disease’s progression. Several stresses induce altered ATP generation, causing disorders and illnesses. Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are dynamic oligomers that are dominantly β-sheet in nature. Some important functions that they exhibit include preventing protein aggregation, enabling protein refolding, conferring thermotolerance to cells, and exhibiting anti-apoptotic functions. Expression and functions of sHSPs in humans are closely associated with several diseases like cataracts, cardiovascular diseases, renal diseases, cancer, etc. Additionally, there are some mycobacterial sHSPs like Mycobacterium leprae HSP18 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP16.3, whose molecular chaperone functions are implicated in the growth and survival of pathogens in host species. As both ATP and sHSPs, remain closely associated with several human diseases and survival of bacterial pathogens in the host, therefore substantial research has been conducted to elucidate ATP-sHSP interaction. In this mini review, the impact of ATP on the structure and function of human and mycobacterial sHSPs is discussed. Additionally, how such interactions can influence the onset of several human diseases is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandip K. Nandi
- School of Health Sciences, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, India
- *Correspondence: Sandip K. Nandi, ; Ashis Biswas,
| | - Alok Kumar Panda
- School of Applied Sciences, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Ayon Chakraborty
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Shivani Rathee
- School of Health Sciences, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, India
| | - Ipsita Roy
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Subhashree Barik
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, India
| | | | - Ashis Biswas
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, India
- *Correspondence: Sandip K. Nandi, ; Ashis Biswas,
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8
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Chandra P, Coullon H, Agarwal M, Goss CW, Philips JA. Macrophage global metabolomics identifies cholestenone as host/pathogen cometabolite present in human Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:152509. [PMID: 35104812 PMCID: PMC8803325 DOI: 10.1172/jci152509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) causes an enormous burden of disease worldwide. As a central aspect of its pathogenesis, M. tuberculosis grows in macrophages, and host and microbe influence each other's metabolism. To define the metabolic impact of M. tuberculosis infection, we performed global metabolic profiling of M. tuberculosis-infected macrophages. M. tuberculosis induced metabolic hallmarks of inflammatory macrophages and a prominent signature of cholesterol metabolism. We found that infected macrophages accumulate cholestenone, a mycobacterial-derived, oxidized derivative of cholesterol. We demonstrated that the accumulation of cholestenone in infected macrophages depended on the M. tuberculosis enzyme 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-Hsd) and correlated with pathogen burden. Because cholestenone is not a substantial human metabolite, we hypothesized it might be diagnostic of M. tuberculosis infection in clinical samples. Indeed, in 2 geographically distinct cohorts, sputum cholestenone levels distinguished subjects with tuberculosis (TB) from TB-negative controls who presented with TB-like symptoms. We also found country-specific detection of cholestenone in plasma samples from M. tuberculosis-infected subjects. While cholestenone was previously thought to be an intermediate required for cholesterol degradation by M. tuberculosis, we found that M. tuberculosis can utilize cholesterol for growth without making cholestenone. Thus, the accumulation of cholestenone in clinical samples suggests it has an alternative role in pathogenesis and could be a clinically useful biomarker of TB infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Chandra
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, and
| | - Héloise Coullon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, and
| | - Mansi Agarwal
- Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Charles W Goss
- Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jennifer A Philips
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, and
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Ojo O, Williams DL, Adams LB, Lahiri R. Mycobacterium leprae Transcriptome During In Vivo Growth and Ex Vivo Stationary Phases. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:817221. [PMID: 35096659 PMCID: PMC8790229 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.817221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, is an obligate intracellular pathogen primarily residing within host macrophages and Schwann cells. Whole genome sequencing predicts a highly degraded genome with approximately one third of the coding capacity resulting in the loss of many catabolic pathways. Therefore, it can be assumed that M. leprae obtains many of the necessary metabolites for intracellular survival and growth from the host cells. In this study, global transcriptomic analyses were done on freshly harvested M. leprae growing in athymic mouse footpads for five months (MFP5) and compared to those held in axenic medium for 48 (ML48) and 96 (ML96) hours. Results show that all of the genes and pseudogenes were transcribed under both in vivo and in vitro conditions. 24% and 33% of gene transcript levels were significantly altered in ML48 and ML96 respectively, compared to MFP5. Approximately 45% (39/86) of lipid metabolism genes were significantly downregulated in ML96 compared to MFP5, majority of which are in the β-oxidation pathway. Cholesterol oxidase, acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and coenzyme F420-dependent oxidoreductase, were significantly upregulated in both ML48 and ML96 compared to MFP5. 30% of cell wall and cell processes functional category genes had altered gene transcription at 96hr compared to MFP5. 40% of 57 genes associated with mycobacterial virulence showed significantly altered transcript levels with 52% significantly downregulated in ML96, including most of the Pro-Glu/Pro-Pro-Glu genes. All 111 hypothetical protein genes with unknown function were expressed. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis in M. leprae appears to be significantly downregulated under ex vivo conditions. This is the first study comparing M. leprae global gene expression during in vivo growth and ex vivo stationery phase in axenic medium confirming that during the growth phase in the footpads of experimentally infected mice, M. leprae is metabolically active and its primary source of energy production is probably lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olabisi Ojo
- United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Health Systems Bureau, National Hansen's Disease Program, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Diana L Williams
- United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Health Systems Bureau, National Hansen's Disease Program, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Linda B Adams
- United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Health Systems Bureau, National Hansen's Disease Program, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Ramanuj Lahiri
- United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Health Systems Bureau, National Hansen's Disease Program, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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