In this study, we investigated the interactions of Staphylococcus aureus with mast cells, which are multifunctional sentinels lining the surfaces of the body. We found that bone marrow-derived murine mast cells (BMMC) exerted a powerful phagocytosis-independent antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. Both the release of extracellular traps as well as discharge of antimicrobial compounds were the mechanisms used by the BMMC to kill extracellular S. aureus. This was accompanied by the secretion of mediators such as TNF-α involved in the recruitment of effector cells. Interestingly, S. aureus subverted the extracellular antimicrobial activity of the BMMC by internalizing within these cells. S. aureus was also capable to internalize within human mast cells (HMC-1) and within murine skin mast cells during in vivo infection. Bacteria internalization was, at least in part, mediated by the α5β1 integrins expressed on the surface of the mast cell. In the intracellular milieu, the bacterium survived and persisted by increasing the cell wall thickness and by gaining access into the mast cell cytosol. The expression of α-hemolysin was essential for staphylococci intracellular persistence. By hiding within the long-life mast cells, staphylococci not only avoid clearance but also establish an infection reservoir that could contribute to chronic carriage.

Despite the critical role that TNF-alpha plays in the containment of mycobacterial infection, the mechanisms involved in regulation of its expression by mycobacteria are poorly defined. We addressed this question by studying MAP, which causes a chronic enteritis in ruminants and is linked to human Crohn's disease. We found that in MAP infected macrophages, TNF-alpha gene expression was substantially lower than in macrophages infected with nonpathogenic MS or stimulated with LPS. TNF-alpha transcriptional one could not fully explain the differential TNF-alpha mRNA expression, suggesting that there must be a substantial contribution by post-transcriptional mechanisms.Accordingly, we found reduced TNF-alpha mRNA stability in MAP-infected macrophages. Further comparison of MAP- and MS-infected macrophages revealed that lower TNF-alpha mRNA stability combined with lower mRNA and protein expression in MAP-infected macrophages correlated with lower p38 MAPK phosphorylation. These findings were independent of viability of MAP and MS. We demonstrate that the major mycobacterial cell-wall lipoglycan LM of MAP and MS induced TNF-alpha mRNA transcription,but only the MS-LM induced p38 MAPK-dependent transcript stabilization. Overall, our data suggest that pathogenic mycobacteria cause weak p38 and TNF-alpha mRNA stabilization as a result of their structural cell-wall components such as LM and thereby, restrict TNF-alpha expression in macrophages.