SUMMARY
Many bacterial pathogens antagonize host defence responses by translocating effector proteins into cells. It remains an open question how those pathogens not encoding effectors counteract anti-bacterial immunity. Here, we show that Klebsiella pneumoniae hijacks the evolutionary conserved innate immune protein SARM1 to control cell intrinsic immunity. Klebsiella exploits SARM1 to regulate negatively MyD88 and TRIF-governed inflammation, and the activation of the MAP kinases ERK and JNK. SARM1 is required for Klebsiella induction of IL10 by fine-tuning the p38-type I IFN axis. SARM1 inhibits the activation of Klebsiella-induced absent in melanoma 2 inflammasome to limit IL1β production, suppressing further inflammation. Klebsiella exploits type I IFNs to induce SARM1 in a capsule and LPS O-polysaccharide-dependent manner via TLR4-TRAM-TRIF-IRF3-IFNAR1 pathway. Absence of SARM1 reduces the intracellular survival of K. pneumonaie in macrophages whereas sarm1 deficient mice control the infection. Altogether, our results illustrate a hitherto unknown anti-immunology strategy deployed by a human pathogen.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.
