The antimicrobial peptide LL-37 inhibits the growth of the major human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), but the mechanism of the peptide-pathogen interaction inside human macrophages remains unclear. Super-resolution imaging techniques provide a novel opportunity to visualize these interactions on a molecular level. Here, we adapt the super-resolution technique of stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy to study the uptake, intracellular localization and interaction of LL-37 with macrophages and virulent Mtb. We demonstrate that LL-37 is internalized by both uninfected and Mtb infected primary human macrophages. The peptide localizes in the membrane of early endosomes and lysosomes, the compartment in which mycobacteria reside. Functionally, LL-37 disrupts the cell wall of intra- and extracellular Mtb, resulting in the killing of the pathogen. In conclusion, we introduce STED microscopy as an innovative and informative tool for studying host-pathogen-peptide interactions, clearly extending the possibilities of conventional confocal microscopy.
Keywords: LL-37; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; STED; antimicrobial peptide; human macrophages.