Lipid metabolism and its implication in mycobacteria–host interaction

The complex lipids present in the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ) act as major effector molecules that actively interact with the host, modulating its metabolism and stimulating the immune response, which in turn affects the physiology of both, the host cell and the bacilli. Lipids from the host are also nutrient sources for the pathogen and define the fate of the infection by modulating lipid homeostasis. Although new technologies and experimental models of infection have greatly helped understanding the different aspects of the host–pathogen interactions at the lipid level, the impact of this interaction in the Mtb lipid regulation is still incipient, mainly because of the low background knowledge in this area of research.