Modulating ferroptosis and mycobactericidal activity in lung epithelial cells via YY1/iNOS pathway.

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection triggers various forms of host cell death, including ferroptosis in lung epithelial cells; YY1, a critical transcription factor, plays a pivotal role in regulating ferroptosis, however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.

Methods: To investigate Mycobacterium marinum (M.marinum) infection in lung epithelial cells A549 and H1299, we utilized flow cytometry to evaluate cell death and measure reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Upregulation of CD226 on subsets of T cells and NK cells is associated with upregulated adhesion molecules and cytotoxic factors in patients with tuberculosis.

Human T cells and natural killer (NK) cells are major effector cells of innate immunity exerting potential immune surveillance against tuberculosis infection. CD226 is an activating receptor playing vital roles in the functions of T cells and NK cells during HIV infection and tumorigenesis. However, CD226 is a less-studied activating receptor during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection.