Mycobacterium tuberculosis Exploits Human Interferon γ to Stimulate Macrophage Extracellular Trap Formation and Necrosis

KW Wong, WR Jacobs Jr - The Journal of infectious diseases, 2013 - academic.oup.com
KW Wong, WR Jacobs Jr
The Journal of infectious diseases, 2013academic.oup.com
Human neutrophils form extracellular traps during M. tuberculosis infection, but a similar
phenomenon has not been reported in human macrophages. Here we demonstrate that M.
tuberculosis induces release of extracellular traps from human macrophages. This process
is regulated by elastase activity, previously shown to regulate formation of extracellular traps
by neutrophils. Interestingly, formation of extracellular traps by macrophages during M.
tuberculosis infection is inducible by interferon γ (IFN-γ). These traps are mainly produced …
Abstract
Human neutrophils form extracellular traps during M. tuberculosis infection, but a similar phenomenon has not been reported in human macrophages. Here we demonstrate that M. tuberculosis induces release of extracellular traps from human macrophages. This process is regulated by elastase activity, previously shown to regulate formation of extracellular traps by neutrophils. Interestingly, formation of extracellular traps by macrophages during M. tuberculosis infection is inducible by interferon γ (IFN-γ). These traps are mainly produced by heavily infected macrophages. Accordingly, IFN-γ is found to stimulate M. tuberculosis aggregation in macrophages. Both IFN-γ–inducible events, extracellular trap formation and mycobacterial aggregation, require the ESX-1 secretion system. In addition, IFN-γ is found to enhance ESX-1–mediated macrophage necrosis. In the absence of ESX-1, IFN-γ does not restore any extracellular trap formation, mycobacterial aggregation, or macrophage necrosis. Thus, initial characterization of macrophage extracellular trap formation due to M. tuberculosis infection led to the uncovering of a novel role for IFN-γ in amplifying multiple effects of the mycobacterial ESX-1.
Oxford University Press