Identification of scavenger receptor B1 as the airway microfold cell receptor for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

• Main Authors: Haaris S Khan, Vidhya R Nair, Cody R Ruhl, Samuel Alvarez-Arguedas, Jorge L Galvan Rendiz, Luis H Franco, Linzhang Huang, Philip W Shaul, Jiwoong Kim, Yang Xie, Ron B Mitchell, Michael U Shiloh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: eLife Sciences Publications Ltd 2020-03-01
• Series: eLife
• Subjects: microfold cell; mucosal immunology; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; scavenger receptor; Type VII secretion system; EsxA
• Online Access: https://elifesciences.org/articles/52551
• ISSN: 2050-084X

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) can enter the body through multiple routes, including via specialized transcytotic cells called microfold cells (M cell). However, the mechanistic basis for M cell entry remains undefined. Here, we show that M cell transcytosis depends on the Mtb Type VII secretion machine and its major virulence factor EsxA. We identify scavenger receptor B1 (SR-B1) as an EsxA receptor on airway M cells. SR-B1 is required for Mtb binding to and translocation across M cells in mouse and human tissue. Together, our data demonstrate a previously undescribed role for Mtb EsxA in mucosal invasion and identify SR-B1 as the airway M cell receptor for Mtb.