Maleic acid adjuvates BCG to induce CD4+CD8+ T cells and sterilize tuberculosis

Abstract

Anti-tuberculosis (TB) immunity typically emphasizes CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells that only provide limited protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. The anti-TB function of CD4+CD8+ T cells remains unexplored, mostly due to the dogma that ThPOK and Runx3 antagonize each other to block their development and their scarcity. Here, we show that immunization of BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) with Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) markedly induced CD4+CD8+ T cells through the gut microbiota Clostridium butyricum or its metabolite maleic acid. Mtb-specific CD4+CD8+ T cells exhibited a broad T-cell receptor repertoire and sterilized Mtb infection by inducing SLAMF1 and neutrophil responses. Mechanistically, maleic acid interacted with PAK2 to promote STAT5 phosphorylation at Ser127, thus upregulating Ets1 expression. Direct binding of Ets1 to the Runx3 and ThPOK promoters orchestrated their expression to redirect the CD8+ T cell differentiation towards the CD4+CD8+ lineage. Moreover, immunization of BCG plus Clostridium butyricum or maleic acid sterilized Mtb infection in mouse models. These findings establish CD4+CD8+ T cells as superior immune effectors against Mtb, a concept that could fundamentally redirect the current paradigm for anti-TB vaccine development.