Cholesterol metabolism and intrabacterial potassium homeostasis are intrinsically related in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Potassium (K+) is the most abundant intracellular cation, but much remains unknown regarding how K+ homeostasis is integrated with other key bacterial biology aspects. Here, we show that K+ homeostasis disruption (CeoBC K+ uptake system deletion) impedes Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) response to,...

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Main Authors: Yue Chen, Berge Hagopian, Shumin Tan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-05-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013207
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author Yue Chen
Berge Hagopian
Shumin Tan
author_facet Yue Chen
Berge Hagopian
Shumin Tan
author_sort Yue Chen
collection DOAJ
description Potassium (K+) is the most abundant intracellular cation, but much remains unknown regarding how K+ homeostasis is integrated with other key bacterial biology aspects. Here, we show that K+ homeostasis disruption (CeoBC K+ uptake system deletion) impedes Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) response to, and growth in, cholesterol, a critical carbon source during infection, with K+ augmenting activity of the Mtb ATPase MceG that is vital for bacterial cholesterol import. Reciprocally, cholesterol directly binds to CeoB, modulating its function, with a residue critical for this interaction identified. Finally, cholesterol binding-deficient CeoB mutant Mtb are attenuated for growth in lipid-rich foamy macrophages and in vivo colonization. Our findings raise the concept of a role for cholesterol as a key co-factor, beyond its role as a carbon source, and illuminate how changes in intrabacterial K+ levels can act as part of the metabolic adaptation critical for bacterial survival and growth in the host.
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spelling doaj-art-67e545619bc64fd388b8f6eabaa2a63f2025-08-20T02:23:15ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742025-05-01215e101320710.1371/journal.ppat.1013207Cholesterol metabolism and intrabacterial potassium homeostasis are intrinsically related in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.Yue ChenBerge HagopianShumin TanPotassium (K+) is the most abundant intracellular cation, but much remains unknown regarding how K+ homeostasis is integrated with other key bacterial biology aspects. Here, we show that K+ homeostasis disruption (CeoBC K+ uptake system deletion) impedes Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) response to, and growth in, cholesterol, a critical carbon source during infection, with K+ augmenting activity of the Mtb ATPase MceG that is vital for bacterial cholesterol import. Reciprocally, cholesterol directly binds to CeoB, modulating its function, with a residue critical for this interaction identified. Finally, cholesterol binding-deficient CeoB mutant Mtb are attenuated for growth in lipid-rich foamy macrophages and in vivo colonization. Our findings raise the concept of a role for cholesterol as a key co-factor, beyond its role as a carbon source, and illuminate how changes in intrabacterial K+ levels can act as part of the metabolic adaptation critical for bacterial survival and growth in the host.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013207
spellingShingle Yue Chen
Berge Hagopian
Shumin Tan
Cholesterol metabolism and intrabacterial potassium homeostasis are intrinsically related in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
PLoS Pathogens
title Cholesterol metabolism and intrabacterial potassium homeostasis are intrinsically related in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
title_full Cholesterol metabolism and intrabacterial potassium homeostasis are intrinsically related in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
title_fullStr Cholesterol metabolism and intrabacterial potassium homeostasis are intrinsically related in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
title_full_unstemmed Cholesterol metabolism and intrabacterial potassium homeostasis are intrinsically related in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
title_short Cholesterol metabolism and intrabacterial potassium homeostasis are intrinsically related in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
title_sort cholesterol metabolism and intrabacterial potassium homeostasis are intrinsically related in mycobacterium tuberculosis
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013207
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AT bergehagopian cholesterolmetabolismandintrabacterialpotassiumhomeostasisareintrinsicallyrelatedinmycobacteriumtuberculosis
AT shumintan cholesterolmetabolismandintrabacterialpotassiumhomeostasisareintrinsicallyrelatedinmycobacteriumtuberculosis