Mycobacterium tuberculosisinhibits human innate immune responses via the production of TLR2 antagonist glycolipids

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosisis a major human pathogen that is able to survive inside host cells and resist immune clearance. Most particularly, it inhibits several arms of the innate immune response, including phagosome maturation or cytokine production. To better understand the molecular mechanisms by whichM. tuberculosiscircumvents host immune defenses, we used a transposon mutant library generated in a virulent clinical isolate ofM. tuberculosisof the W/Beijing family to infect human macrophages, utilizing a cell line derivative of THP-1 cells expressing a reporter system for activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, a key regulator of innate immunity. We identified severalM. tuberculosismutants inducing a NF-κB activation stronger than that of the wild-type strain. One of these mutants was found to be deficient for the synthesis of cell envelope glycolipids, namely sulfoglycolipids, suggesting that the latter can interfere with innate immune responses. Using natural and synthetic molecular variants, we determined that sulfoglycolipids inhibit NF-κB activation and subsequent cytokine production or costimulatory molecule expression by acting as competitive antagonists of Toll-like receptor 2, thereby inhibiting the recognition ofM. tuberculosisby this receptor. Our study reveals that producing glycolipid antagonists of pattern recognition receptors is a strategy used byM. tuberculosisto undermine innate immune defense. Sulfoglycolipids are major and specific lipids ofM. tuberculosis, considered for decades as virulence factors of the bacilli. Our study uncovers a mechanism by which they may contribute toM. tuberculosisvirulence.