Dysregulation of the host mevalonate pathway during early bacterial infection activates human TCR gamma delta cells

Primates, but not rodents, have T cell receptor Vgamma9-Vdelta2 T cells bridging innate and adaptive antimicrobial immunity. This T cell population is activated by prenyl pyrophosphates isolated from microbial or eukaryotic cells. Although the microbial metabolites are more active than the cellular ones, their involvement in TCR gammadelta activation during infection has not been studied. Here, we show that, during the initial phases of infections with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, TCR gammadelta cells are activated by endogenous mevalonate metabolites. Infections with low bacteria inocula up-regulate the production and accumulation of host-derived TCR gammadelta stimulatory antigens within 1 h, which is followed by a peak of TCR gammadelta cell activation at 5 h. Infections induce the accumulation and dephosphorylation of the hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of the mevalonate pathway, resulting in increased activity of this enzyme and in increased synthesis of intermediate metabolites. Thus, primates have evolved the ability to readily respond to bacterial infection by sensing the dysregulation of the mevalonate pathway within infected cells, as a mechanism of immediate antimicrobial immunity.