Tumor suppressor p53 is not only affects immune responses but also contributes to antibacterial activity. However, its bactericidal function during mycobacterial infection remains unclear. In this study, we found that the p53-deficient macrophages failed to control Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), manifested as a lower apoptotic cell death rate and enhanced intracellular survival. The expression levels of p53 during Mtb infection were stronger in M1 macrophages than in M2 macrophages. The TLR2/JNK signaling pathway plays an essential role in the modulation of M1 macrophage polarization upon Mtb infection. It facilitates p53-mediated apoptosis through the production of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide and inflammatory cytokines in Mtb-infected M1 macrophages. In addition, nutlin-3 effectively abrogated the intracellular survival of mycobacteria in both TB patients and healthy controls after H37Ra infection for 24 h, indicating that the enhancement of p53 production effectively suppressed the intracellular survival of Mtb in hosts. These results suggest that p53 can be a new therapeutic target for TB therapy.
Keywords: Apoptosis; Macrophages; Mycobacteria; Polarization; Tuberculosis; p53.