Mycobacterium tuberculosis-derived linoleic acid increases regulatory T cell function to promote bacterial survival within macrophages

Abstract

Regulatory T (T_reg) cells expand during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and suppress T cell-mediated control. Whether Mtb actively contributes to this process is unclear. Here, using a genome-wide mutant library, we show that the expression of Mtb Rv1272c, an ATP-binding cassette transporter, increased under hypoxic conditions and promotes Mtb survival in vivo by increasing lecithin import, followed by the production and release of linoleic acid. Linoleic acid released by infected macrophages promoted surface trafficking of the immune checkpoint molecule cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) in T_reg cells via the Ca²⁺ transporter ATP2a3. This in turn inhibited macrophage reactive oxygen species production and promoted Mtb survival inside macrophages. Rv1272c-induced linoleic acid further promoted Mtb immune evasion by increasing CTLA-4 surface trafficking on T_reg cells in vivo. Mechanistically, linoleic acid interacts with ATP2a3 in T_reg cells and promotes mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane formation. This facilitates ER-to-mitochondria Ca²⁺ transfer and depletion of Ca²⁺ in the ER, and triggers store-operated calcium entry, thus elevating cytosolic Ca²⁺ levels to increase Ca²⁺-dependent CTLA-4 surface trafficking in T_reg cells. These findings reveal that Mtb can use a metabolite to manipulate host responses and promote its intracellular survival.