Gene

Cell biology

Amino acid

Bacteria

Biology

Citric acid cycle

Glycolysis

Catabolism

Pathogen

Microbial metabolism

Metabolism

Biochemistry

Metabolic pathway

Tricarboxylic acid

Genetics

Physics

Optics

Oxidative phosphorylation

Microbiology

Crosstalk

Virulence

Nature Microbiology

Following detection of bacteria, macrophages switch their metabolism from oxidative respiration through the tricarboxylic acid cycle to high-rate aerobic glycolysis. This immunometabolic shift enables pro-inflammatory and antimicrobial responses and is facilitated by the accumulation of fatty acids, tricarboxylic acid-derived metabolites and catabolism of amino acids. Recent studies have shown that these immunometabolites are co-opted by pathogens as environmental cues for expression of virulence genes. We review mechanisms by which host immunometabolites regulate bacterial pathogenicity and discuss opportunities for the development of therapeutics targeting metabolic host-pathogen crosstalk.

Immunometabolic crosstalk during bacterial infection