Coronavirus Lung Infection Impairs Host Immunity against Secondary Bacterial Infection by Promoting Lysosomal Dysfunction

Abstract

Postviral bacterial infections are a major health care challenge in coronavirus infections, including COVID-19; however, the coronavirus-specific mechanisms of increased host susceptibility to secondary infections remain unknown. In humans, coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, infect lung immune cells, including alveolar macrophages, a phenotype poorly replicated in mouse models of SARS-CoV-2. To overcome this, we used a mouse model of native murine β-coronavirus that infects both immune and structural cells to investigate coronavirus-enhanced susceptibility to bacterial infections. Our data show that coronavirus infection impairs the host ability to clear invading bacterial pathogens and potentiates lung tissue damage in mice. Mechanistically, coronavirus limits the bacterial killing ability of macrophages by impairing lysosomal acidification and fusion with engulfed bacteria. In addition, coronavirus-induced lysosomal dysfunction promotes pyroptotic cell death and the release of IL-1β. Inhibition of cathepsin B decreased cell death and IL-1β release and promoted bacterial clearance in mice with postcoronavirus bacterial infection.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2022
Source ID
10.4049/jimmunol.2200198

Entities

People

  • Asawari Korde
  • Charles S Dela Cruz
  • Craig B Wilen
  • De Chang
  • Gayatri Gupta
  • Hyeon Jun Shin
  • Jonathon P. Audia
  • Jooyoung Kim
  • Karen Agaronyan
  • Lin Wang
  • Lokesh Sharma
  • Madeleine C Mankowski
  • Min-Jong Kang
  • Sarah Voth
  • Shervin S. Takyar
  • Shuta Ishibe
  • Susan R Compton
  • Victoria Habet
  • Xiaohua Peng
  • Xinran Liu
  • Xuefei Tian
  • Ying Cai

Organizations

  • American Lung Association
  • Chongqing Medical University
  • United States Department of Defense
  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs
  • University of South Alabama
  • Veterans Health Administration
  • Yale School of Medicine
  • Yale University

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Immunology and Pathology
  • Infectious Disease/Epidemiology
  • Molecular and Cellular Biology