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For efficient clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), macrophages tilt towards M1 polarization leading to the activation of transcription factors associated with the production of antibacterial effector molecules such as nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1 β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). At the same time, resolution of inflammation is associated with M2 polarization with increased production of arginase and cytokines such as IL-10. The transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms that govern the balance between M1 and M2 polarization, and bacteria-containing processes such as autophagy and trafficking of Mtb to lysosomes, are incompletely understood. Here we report for the first time, that the transcription factor KLF4 is targeted by microRNA-26a (miR-26a). During Mtb infection, downregulation of miR-26a (observed both ex vivo and in vivo) facilitates upregulation of KLF4 which in turn favors increased arginase and decreased iNOS activity. We further demonstrate that KLF4 prevents trafficking of Mtb to lysosomes. The CREB-C/EBPβ signaling axis also favors M2 polarization. Downregulation of miR-26a and upregulation of C/ebpbeta were observed both in infected macrophages as well as in infected mice. Knockdown of C/ebpbeta repressed the expression of selected M2 markers such as Il10 and Irf4 in infected macrophages. The importance of these pathways is substantiated by observations that expression of miR-26a mimic or knockdown of Klf4 or Creb or C/ebpbeta, attenuated the survival of Mtb in macrophages. Taken together, our results attribute crucial roles for the miR-26a/KLF4 and CREB-C/EBPβsignaling pathways in regulating the survival of Mtb in macrophages. These studies expand our understanding of how Mtb hijacks host signaling pathways to survive in macrophages, and open up new exploratory avenues for host-targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( M.tb.) replicates in host macrophages to cause tuberculosis. We have investigated the role of miRNAs in M.tb.-infected murine RAW264.7 cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages ( BMDMs), focusing on miR-155, the most highly upregulated miRNA. We observed that miR-155 upregulation is directly linked to the attenuation of expression of BTB and CNC homology 1 ( Bach1) and SH2-containing inositol 5′-phosphatase ( SHIP1). Bach1 is a transcriptional repressor of haem oxygenase-1 ( HO-1), whereas SHIP1 inhibits the activation of the serine/threonine kinase AKT. We hypothesize that M.tb.-induced miR-155 induction leads to repression of Bach1, which augments the expression of HO-1, a documented activator of the M.tb. dormancyregulon. SHIP1 repression facilitates AKT activation, which is required for M.tb. survival. In addition, M.tb.-induced miR-155 inhibits expression of cyclooxygenase-2 ( Cox-2) and interleukin-6 ( Il-6), two modulators of the innate immune response. Importantly, we observed that the virulence-associated secreted protein ESAT-6 plays a key role in miR-155 induction and its subsequent effects on Bach1 and SHIP1 repression. Inhibition of miR-155 hindered survival of M.tb. in RAW264.7 and in murine BMDMs. Thus, our results offer new insights into the role of miRNAs in modulation of the host innate immune response by M.tb. for its own benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paired two-component systems (TCSs), having a sensor kinase (SK) and a cognate response regulator (RR), enable the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis to respond to the external environment and to persist within its host. Here, we inactivated the SK gene of the TCS MtrAB, mtrB, generating the strain ΔmtrB. We show that mtrB loss reduces the bacterium's ability to survive in macrophages and increases its association with autophagosomes and autolysosomes. Notably, the ΔmtrB strain was markedly defective in establishing lung infection in mice, with no detectable lung pathology following aerosol challenge. ΔmtrB was less able to withstand hypoxic and acid stresses and to form biofilms and had decreased viability under hypoxia. Transcriptional profiling of ΔmtrB by gene microarray analysis, validated by quantitative RT-PCR, indicated downregulation of the hypoxia-associated dosR regulon, as well as genes associated with other pathways linked to adaptation of M. tuberculosis to the host environment. Using in vitro biochemical assays, we demonstrate that MtrB interacts with DosR (a noncognate RR) in a phosphorylation-independent manner. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that MtrB enhances the binding of DosR to the hspX promoter, suggesting an unexpected role of MtrB in DosR-regulated gene expression in M. tuberculosis. Taken together, these findings indicate that MtrB functions as a regulator of DosR-dependent gene expression and in the adaptation of M. tuberculosis to hypoxia and the host environment. We propose that MtrB may be exploited as a chemotherapeutic target against tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]