Mycobacterial infection alters host mitochondrial activity

The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) to hijack host mitochondria and control host immune signaling is the key to its successful infection. Infection of M. tb causes distinct changes in mitochondrial morphology, metabolism, disruption of innate signaling, and cell fate. The alterations in mitochondria are intricately linked to the immunometabolism of host immune cells such as macrophages, dendritic cells, and T cells. Different immune cells are tuned to diverse immunometabolic states that decide their immune response. These changes could be attributed to the several proteins targeted to host mitochondria by M. tb. Bioinformatic analyses and experimental evidence revealed the potential localization of secreted mycobacterial proteins in host mitochondria. Given the central role of mitochondria in the host metabolism, innate signaling, and cell fate, its manipulation by M. tb renders it susceptible to infection. Restoring mitochondrial health can override M. tb-mediated manipulation and thus clear infection. Several reviews are available on the role of different immune cells in tuberculosis infection and M. tb evasion of immune responses; in the present chapter, we discuss the mitochondrial functional alterations in the innate immune signaling of various immune cells driven by differential mitochondrial immunometabolism during M. tb infection and the role of M. tb proteins, which are directly targeted to the host mitochondria and compromise its innate signaling system. Further studies would help in uncovering the molecular mechanisms of M. tb-directed proteins in host mitochondria to conceptualize both host- directed and pathogen- directed interventions in TB disease management.