Journal
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
Volume 16, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
BMC
DOI: 10.1186/1423-0127-16-110
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Funding
- NCRR NIH HHS [UL1 RR025755] Funding Source: Medline
- NIAID NIH HHS [1-U54-AI-057153] Funding Source: Medline
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Background: Autophagy has been shown recently to play an important role in the intracellular survival of several pathogenic bacteria. In this study, we investigated the effect of a novel small-molecule autophagy-inducing agent, AR-12, on the survival of Francisella tularensis, the causative bacterium of tularemia in humans and a potential bioterrorism agent, in macrophages. Methods and results: Our results show that AR-12 induces autophagy in THP-1 macrophages, as indicated by increased autophagosome formation, and potently inhibits the intracellular survival of F. tularensis (type A strain, Schu S4) and F. novicida in macrophages in association with increased bacterial co-localization with autophagosomes. The effect of AR-12 on intracellular F. novicida was fully reversed in the presence of the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyl adenine or the lysosome inhibitor, chloroquine. Intracellular F. novicida were not susceptible to the inhibitory activity of AR-12 added at 12 h post-infection in THP-1 macrophages, and this lack of susceptibility was independent of the intracellular location of bacteria. Conclusion: Together, AR-12 represents a proof-of-principle that intracellular F. tularensis can be eradicated by small-molecule agents that target innate immunity.
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