REVIEW article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Bacteria and Host
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1640647
This article is part of the Research TopicReviews in Bacteria and HostView all 4 articles
Autophagy in Mycobacterial Infections: Molecular Mechanisms, Host-Pathogen Interactions, and Therapeutic Opportunities
Provisionally accepted
- Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
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Mycobacteria pose significant global health burdens, with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex causing tuberculosis-a leading infectious killer claiming over 1.25 million lives annually-and NTM driving pulmonary and ulcerative infections, particularly in immunocompromised populations. Autophagy, a conserved cellular degradation pathway, serves as a critical mechanism of host defense against mycobacteria by delivering bacteria to the lysosome. As a response, mycobacteria have evolved intricate strategies to subvert or exploit autophagy for survival. Consequently, autophagy exhibits a dichotomous role in mycobacterial infection: functioning as a protective mechanism of host while simultaneously serving as a virulence determinant hijacked by bacteria for their survival. This review synthesizes current insights into the molecular mechanisms mediating host-initiated autophagy during mycobacterial infection, as well as the bacterial strategies for subverting or hijacking autophagic pathways. While autophagy may be hijacked by mycobacteria, substantial evidence from numerous studies demonstrates that autophagy-activating agents may be beneficial in restricting mycobacteria infection, even with multidrug-resistant strains. This review also systematizes promising agents that enhance autophagy to improve bacterial clearance. By synthesizing the latest research findings, this article aims to enhance our understanding of the intricate relationship between autophagy and mycobacteria, paving the way for efficient host-directed therapies (HDTs) against this severely harmful pathogen.
Keywords: Mycobacterium, Autophagy, molecular mechanism, host-pathogen interaction, Host-directed therapy
Received: 04 Jun 2025; Accepted: 21 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liao, Li, Feng, Chen and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yi Liao, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
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