An Automated Culture System for Use in Preclinical Testing of Host-Directed Therapies for Tuberculosis

Summary

Rapid and efficient quantification of intracellular M. tuberculosis growth is crucial for pursuing improved therapies against tuberculosis (TB). This protocol describes a broth-based colorimetric detection assay using an automated liquid culture system to quantify Mtb growth in macrophages treated with candidate host-directed therapies.

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), was the most significant infectious disease killer globally until the advent of COVID-19. Mtb has evolved to persist in its intracellular environment, evade host defenses, and has developed resistance to many anti-tubercular drugs. One approach to solving resistance is identifying existing approved drugs that will boost the host immune response to Mtb. These drugs could then be repurposed as adjunctive host-directed therapies (HDT) to shorten treatment time and help overcome antibiotic resistance.

Quantification of intracellular Mtb growth in macrophages is a crucial aspect of assessing potential HDT. The gold standard for measuring Mtb growth is counting colony-forming units (CFU) on agar plates. This is a slow, labor-intensive assay that does not lend itself to rapid screening of drugs. In this protocol, an automated, broth-based culture system, which is more commonly used to detect Mtb in clinical specimens, has been adapted for preclinical screening of host-directed therapies. The capacity of the liquid culture assay system to investigate intracellular Mtb growth in macrophages treated with HDT was evaluated. The HDTs tested for their ability to inhibit Mtb growth were all-trans Retinoic acid (AtRA), both in solution and encapsulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles and the combination of interferon-gamma and linezolid. The advantages of this automated liquid culture-based technique over the CFU method include simplicity of setup, less labor-intensive preparation, and faster time to results (5-12 days compared to 21 days or more for agar plates).

Introduction

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of TB, was the most significant infectious disease killer globally in 2019¹. To evade host defenses, Mtb subverts the mycobactericidal activity of innate immune cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), allowing it to persist intracellularly and replicate². The lack of an effective vaccine to prevent adult pulmonary TB and the increasing emergence of drug-resistant strains highlight the urgent need for new therapies.

Adjunctive host-directed therapies (HDT) could shorten treatment time and help overcome resistance³. Preclinical assessment of HDT candidates in vitro to determine mycobactericidal activity within macrophages often relies on the quantification of Mtb growth by colony-forming units (CFU) on solid agar plates. This is a slow, labor-intensive assay that does not lend itself to rapid screening of drugs. Commercially available automated, broth-based microbial detection systems are more commonly used in clinical microbiology laboratories for detection and drug susceptibility testing of Mtb and other mycobacterial species in clinical specimens⁴. These instruments measure growth indirectly based on the bacterial metabolic activity leading to physical changes in the culture media (change in CO₂ or O₂ levels or pressure) monitored over time⁵. The readout is time to positivity (TPP), which has previously been shown to correlate with Mtb CFU in sputum specimens of TB patients in response to treatment^6,7 and in lysates of infected murine lung and spleen⁸. In addition, liquid culture detection systems have been used to measure the effect of conventional pathogen-directed therapies on the growth of mycobacteria in axenic culture and cultured macrophages^9,10. The instrument has also been used to investigate the innate ability of dendritic cells and of alveolar macrophages to control intracellular growth of Mtb^11,12. This experimental protocol demonstrates that a liquid culture diagnostic system can be adapted to perform preclinical screening of HDT for TB in cultured macrophages. Compared to CFU enumeration, the main advantage of this technique is that it considerably reduces the experimental labor and time required to quantify intracellular mycobacterial growth/survival. This technique relies on access to an automated culture instrument that can be used to assess intracellular mycobacterial survival in immune cells treated with a broad range of pharmacological reagents targeting cellular functions to boost host immunity.

Protocol

The experiments outlined in this protocol were carried out using the attenuated H37Ra strain of Mtb, which can be handled in a Containment Level 2 laboratory. All manipulations of live mycobacteria were carried out in Class II biological safety cabinet (BSC). Experimental procedures were designed to minimize the generation of aerosols. Eukaryotic cell culture (THP-1 cells) was also carried out in a Class II BSC. The laboratory carried out a risk assessment and ensured that all procedures were carried out in line with ins…

Representative Results

The automated liquid culture instrument used in this study monitors CO2 levels every 10 min. A color change in the sensor at the bottom of the instrument bottle is measured colorimetrically and expressed as reflectance units. The instrument software then applies detection algorithms to calculate time to positivity (TTP), i.e., the number of days from inoculation until cultures are flagged as positive (Figure 1A). An inverse relationship between TTP and log10CFU (determi…

Discussion

The authors have used the liquid culture method described in this protocol to monitor Mtb growth in monocyte-derived macrophages and alveolar macrophages and THP-1 cells differentiated with PMA^11,16,17. This technique can also be modified for use with non-adherent cells¹². More recently, the instrument was also used in preclinical studies to evaluate inhaled all-trans retinoic acid (AtRA) as an HDT for TB…

Materials

IX51 Fluorescent Microscope	Olympus, Japan	N/A	AFB detection and imaging
2 mL microtube, flat bottom, screw cap, sterile	Sarstedt, North Carolina, USA	72.694.006	Mtb infection of macropahges
5 mL syringe, Luer lock	BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA	SZR-150-031K	Mtb infection of macropahges/CFU
50 mL tube, sterile	Sarstedt, North Carolina, USA	62.547.254	Mtb infection of macropahges
all-trans-Retinoic Acid (ATRA) ≥98% (HPLC)	Sigma Aldrich, Missouri, USA	R2625	Host directed therapy candidate
BacT/ALERT 3D Microbial Detection System	Biomerieux ( Hampshire, UK)	247001	Broth-based colormetric detection system
BACT/ALERT MP  BACT/ALERT MP Nutrient Supplement	Biomerieux ( Hampshire, UK)	414997	Broth-based colormetric detection assay
BACT/ALERT MP culture bottles	Biomerieux ( Hampshire, UK)	419744	Broth-based colormetric detection assay
BD BBL Middlebrook ADC Enrichment, 20 mL	BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA	M0553	Mycobacterium liquid culture
BD BBL Middlebrook OADC Enrichment, 20mL	BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA	M0678	Colony Forming Units
Cell scraper, 25 cm	Sarstedt, North Carolina, USA	83.1830	Harvest of lmacrophage lysates
Corning Syringe Filter, 0.2 µm	Corning Incorporated, Germany	431219	Sterilization of lysis buffer
Cover glass (borosilicate), 24 x 50 mm, #1.5 thickness	VWR International Limited	631 – 0147
Cycloheximide, from microbial	Sigma Aldrich, Missouri, USA	C7698	Colony Forming Units
Dako Fluorescent Mounting Medium	Agilent Technologies Ireland Limited	S3023	Antifade mounting medium
Dulbecco’s Phosphate Buffered Saline	Sigma Aldrich, Missouri, USA	D8537	Mtb infection of macropahges
Fetal Bovine Serum, Gibco	Thermo Fisher, Massachusetts, USA	10270106	Macrophage cell culture
Glycerol, Difco	BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA	228220	Colony Forming Units
Hoescht 33342 (bisBenzimide H 33342 trihydrochloride)	Sigma Aldrich, Missouri, USA	B2261	Nuclear stain
IFNγ, recombinant human	R&D Systems Inc, Minnesota, USA	285-IF	Host directed therapy candidate
Labtek 2-well chamber slide, sterile, Nunc	Thermo Fisher, Massachusetts, USA	TKT-210-150R	Mtb infection of macropahges
L-Asparagine, anhydrous	Sigma Aldrich, Missouri, USA	A4159	Colony Forming Units
Linezolid	Sigma Aldrich, Missouri, USA	PZ0014	Antibiotic
Microlance Hypodermic Needle 25 G	BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA	300400	Mtb infection of macropahges/CFU
Middlebrook 7H10 Agar Base	BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA	M0303	Colony Forming Units
Middlebrook 7H9 Broth Base	BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA	M0178	Mycobacterium liquid culture
Modified Auramine O Stain and Decolourizer	Scientific Device Laboratory, IL, USA	345-250	AFB stain
Paraformaldehyde	Sigma Aldrich, Missouri, USA	158127	Mtb infection of macropahges
Petri dishes, 92 x 16mm (20/bag)	Sarstedt, North Carolina, USA	82.1473.001	Colony Forming Units
Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)	Sigma Aldrich, Missouri, USA	P8139	Macrophage cell culture
Polysorbate 80, Difco	BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA	231181	Mycobacterium liquid culture
RPMI-1640, Gibco	Thermo Fisher, Massachusetts, USA	52400025	Macrophage cell culture
Sterile Cell Spreader, L-Shaped	Fisherbrand, Thermo Fisher, MA, USA	RB-44103	Colony Forming Units
T25 TC flask, angled neck, filter cap, sterile, Nunc	Thermo Fisher, Massachusetts, USA	156367	Mycobacterium liquid culture
THP-1 cell line	ATCC, Virginia, USA	ATCC TIB-202	Macrophage cell culture