The prevailing paradigm is that tuberculosis infection is initiated when patrolling alveolar macrophages and dendritic cells within the terminal alveolus ingest inhaled Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). However, definitive data for this model are lacking. Among the epithelial cells of the upper airway, a specialized epithelial cell known as a microfold cell (M cell) overlies various components of mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue. Here, using multiple mouse models, we show that Mtb invades via M cells to initiate infection. Intranasal Mtb infection in mice lacking M cells either genetically or by antibody depletion resulted in reduced invasion and dissemination to draining lymph nodes. M cell-depleted mice infected via aerosol also had delayed dissemination to lymph nodes and reduced mortality. Translocation of Mtb across two M cell transwell models was rapid and transcellular. Thus, M cell translocation is a vital entry mechanism that contributes to the pathogenesis of Mtb.

Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. In mammalians, these parasites survive and replicate in macrophages and parasite elimination by macrophages is critical for host resistance. Endosomal Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been shown to be crucial for resistance to Leishmania major in vivo. For example, mice in the resistant C57BL/6 genetic background that are triple-deficient for TLR3, -7, and -9 (Tlr3/7/9^−/−) are highly susceptible to L. major infection. Tlr3/7/9^−/− mice are as susceptible as mice deficient in MyD88 or UNC93B1, a chaperone required for appropriate localization of endosomal TLRs, but the mechanisms are unknown. Here we found that macrophages infected with L. major undergo autophagy, which effectively accounted for restriction of parasite replication. Signaling via endosomal TLRs was required for autophagy because macrophages deficient for TLR3, -7, and 9, UNC93B1, or MyD88 failed to undergo L. major-induced autophagy. We also confirmed that Myd88^−/−, Tlr3/7/9^−/−, and Unc93b1^−/− cells were highly permissive to L. major replication. Accordingly, shRNA-mediated suppression of Atg5, an E3 ubiquitin ligase essential for autophagosome elongation, in macrophages impaired the restriction of L. major replication in C57BL/6, but did not affect parasite replication in Myd88^−/− or Unc93b1^−/− macrophages. Rapamycin treatment reduced inflammatory lesions formed in the ears of Leishmania-infected C57BL/6 and Tlr3/7/9^−/− mice, indicating that autophagy operates downstream of TLR signaling and is relevant for disease development in vivo. Collectively, our results indicate that autophagy contributes to macrophage resistance to L. major replication, and mechanistically explain the previously described endosomal TLR-mediated resistance to L. major infection.

Advances have been made to identify secreted proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during animal infections. These data, combined with transposon screens identifying genes important for M. tuberculosis virulence, have generated a vast resource of potential M. tuberculosis virulence proteins. However, the function of many of these proteins in M. tuberculosis pathogenesis remains elusive. We have integrated three cell biological screens to characterize nearly 200 M. tuberculosis secreted proteins for eukaryotic membrane binding, host subcellular localization, and interactions with host vesicular trafficking. In addition, we observed the localization of one secreted protein, Mpt64, to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during M. tuberculosis infection of macrophages. Interestingly, although Mpt64 is exported by the Sec pathway, its delivery into host cells was dependent upon the action of the type VII secretion system. Finally, we observed that Mpt64 impairs the ER-mediated unfolded protein response in macrophages.