Sphingosine kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Akt, NF-κB, and p300 are required for CCL5 production in Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG)-infected epithelial cells

CCL5 is a key in limiting mycobacterial infection. Although NF-κB has been implicated, signaling cascades involved in CCL5 production by epithelial cells following infection with Mycobacterium bovis BCG are still not defined. Here we show that using pharmacological inhibition of sphingosine kinase (SPK), striking inhibition of M. bovis BCG-induced CCL5 protein was observed. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt were also important for CCL5 production by epithelial cells infected with M. bovis BCG. Moreover, there was increased activation of PI3K, IKK/αβ and NF-κB in A549 cells infected with M. bovis BCG. Importantly, the PI3K activation was dependent on SPK. Finally, M. bovis BCG increases the recruitment of p300 with NF-κB in A549 cells. Together, these studies are the first to show that M. bovis BCG-induced CCL5 secretion is dependent on the SPK/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB and p300 signaling pathway. The regulatory pathways of M. bovis BCG-induced CCL5 production can potentially be exploited therapeutically.