Deficiency in Galectin-3, -8, and -9 impairs immunity to chronicMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection but not acute infection with multiple intracellular pathogens
Authors: Morrison Huntly M. , Craft Julia , Rivera-Lugo Rafael , Johnson Jeffery R. , Golovkine Guillaume R. , Dodd Claire E. , Dis Erik Van , Beatty Wandy L. , Margolis Shally R. , Repasy Teresa , Shaker Isaac , Lee Angus Y. , Vance Russell E. , Stanley Sarah A. , Krogan Nevan J. , Portnoy Dan A. , Penn Bennett H. , Cox Jeffery S. 
Published: December 2022

Macrophages employ an array of pattern recognition receptors to detect and eliminate intracellular pathogens that access the cytosol. The cytosolic carbohydrate sensors Galectin-3, -8, and -9 (Gal-3, Gal-8, and Gal-9) recognize damaged pathogen-containing phagosomes, and Gal-3 and Gal-8 are reported to restrict bacterial growth via autophagy in cultured cells. However, the contribution of these galectins to host resistance during bacterial infection remains unclear. We found that Gal-9 binds directly toMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) andSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium (Stm) and localizes toMtbin macrophages. To determine the combined contribution of membrane damage-sensing galectins to immunity in vivo, we generated Gal-3, -8, and - 9 triple knockout (TKO) mice.Mtbinfection of primary macrophages from TKO mice resulted in defective lysosomal trafficking but normal bacterial replication. Surprisingly, these mice had no discernable defect in resistance to acute infection withMtb,Stm or Listeria monocytogenes, and had only modest impairments in bacterial growth restriction and CD4 T cell activation during chronicMtbinfection. Collectively, these findings indicate that while Gal-3, -8, and -9 respond to an array of intracellular pathogens, together these membrane damage-sensing galectins play a limited role in host resistance to bacterial infection.

Author Summary

Intracellular bacterial pathogens cause many of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases. A common requirement for nearly all intracellular pathogens is the ability to damage the endomembrane compartments in which they reside, which allows pathogens access to the nutrient-rich cytosol of the host. However, membrane damage also creates a “pattern of pathogenesis” that triggers antimicrobial immune responses. Galectin-3, -8, and -9 (Gal-3, Gal-8, and Gal-9) act as a surveillance system for membrane damage and Gal-3 and Gal-8 inhibit bacterial growth by activating autophagy, a cellular pathway that can capture cytosolic bacteria and degrade them in lysosomes. Membrane damage-sensing galectins were hypothesized to promote bacterial killing during acute infection yet their role in the immune response of an infected animal remains unclear. Here, we show that mice deficient for Gal-3, -8, and -9 had no defects in resistance to acute infection with the pathogensListeria monocytogenes, Salmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium, andMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb), and were only modestly susceptible to chronicMtbinfection. Our data suggest that Gal-3, -8 and -9 are not critical for innate immune responses during acute infection and may play a more prominent role in the adaptive immune response. These results broaden our understanding of the role of membrane damage-sensing pathways in host defense against bacterial infection.