a b s t r a c tMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection leads to the induction of the apoptotic response, which is associated with bacilli killing. The early secreted mycobacterial antigen ESAT-6 of Mtb has been shown to induce apoptosis in human macrophages and epithelial cells. In the present study, we demonstrate that the stimulation of human epithelial A549 cells by ESAT-6 induces the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. We observed that ESAT-6 treatment increases intracellular Ca 2+ concentration, which results in ROS accumulation, and therefore induces the onset of ER stress-induced apoptosis. Our results uncover a novel apoptotic mechanism of ESAT-6 through ER stress responses in pathologic conditions such as tuberculosis.

Numerous atypical mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium abscessus (Mabc), cause nontuberculous mycobacterial infections, which present a serious public health threat. Inflammasome activation is involved in host defense and the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. However, inflammasome activation has not been widely characterized in human macrophages infected with atypical mycobacteria. Here, we demonstrate that Mabc robustly activates the nucleotide binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome via dectin-1/Syk-dependent signaling and the cytoplasmic scaffold protein p62/SQSTM1 (p62) in human macrophages. Both dectin-1 and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) were required for Mabc-induced mRNA expression of pro-interleukin (IL)-1β, cathelicidin human cationic antimicrobial protein-18/LL-37 and β-defensin 4 (DEFB4). Dectin-1-dependent Syk signaling, but not that of MyD88, led to the activation of caspase-1 and secretion of IL-1β through the activation of an NLRP3/apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) inflammasome. Additionally, potassium efflux was required for Mabc-induced NLRP3/ASC inflammasome activation. Furthermore, Mabc-induced p62 expression was critically involved in NLRP3 inflammasome activation in human macrophages. Finally, NLRP3/ASC was critical for the inflammasome in antimicrobial responses to Mabc infection. Taken together, these data demonstrate the induction mechanism of the NLRP3/ASC inflammasome and its role in innate immunity to Mabc infection.

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BackgroundMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) heparin binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) is an Ag known to evoke effective host immune responses during tuberculosis infection. However, the molecular basis of the host immune response to HBHA has not been fully characterized. In this study, we examined the molecular mechanisms by which HBHA can induce the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages.MethodsHBHA-induced mRNA and protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines were determined in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) using RT-PCR and ELISA analysis. The roles of intracellular signaling pathways for NF-κB, PI3-K/Akt, and MAPKs were investigated in macrophage proinflammatory responses after stimulation with HBHA.ResultsHBHA robustly activated the expression of mRNA and protein of both TNF-α and IL-6, and induced phosphorylation of NF-κB, Akt, and MAPKs in BMDMs. Both TNF-α and IL-6 production by HBHA was regulated by the NF-κB, PI3-K, and MAPK pathways. Furthermore, PI3-K activity was required for the HBHA-induced activation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK, but not JNK, pathways.ConclusionThese data suggest that mycobacterial HBHA significantly induces proinflammatory responses through crosstalk between the PI3-K and MAPK pathways in macrophages.

These findings suggest that CysA2 can be used in combination with HspX and/or PstS1 to increase the accuracy of tuberculosis diagnoses.