Impact of the elderly lung mucosa on <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> transcriptional adaptation during infection of alveolar epithelial cells.

ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death due to a single infectious agent. Upon infection, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is deposited in the alveoli and encounters the lung mucosa or alveolar lining fluid (ALF). We previously showed that, as we age, ALF presents a higher degree of oxidation and inflammatory mediators, which favors M.tb replication in human macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells (ATs). Here, we define the transcriptional profile of M.tb when exposed to healthy ALF from adult (A-ALF) or elderly (E-ALF) humans before and during infection of ATs. Prior to infection, M.tb exposure to E-ALF upregulated genes essential for bacterial host adaptation directly involved in M.tb pathogenesis. During infection of ATs, E-ALF exp

SUBMITTER: Olmo-Fontanez AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11619525 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature