Abstract
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most common bacterial infections in the world, and its key virulence component CagA is the leading cause of gastric cancer. Mitophagy is a form of selective autophagy that eliminates damaged mitochondria and is essential for some viruses and bacteria to evade the immune system. However, the mechanisms by which CagA mediates H. pylori-induced mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome activation remain elusive. In this study, we reported that H. pylori primarily uses its CagA to induce mitochondrial oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, dynamic imbalance, and to block autophagic flux. Inhibition of mitophagy led to an increase in NLRP3 inflammasome activation and apoptosis and a decrease in the viability of H. pylori-infected cells. Our findings suggested that H. pylori induces mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy primarily via CagA. It reduces NLRP3 inflammasome activation to evade host immune surveillance and increases the survival and viability of infected cells, potentially leading to gastric cancer initiation and development. Our findings provide new insights into the pathogenesis of H. pylori-induced gastric cancer, and inhibition of mitophagy may be one of the novel techniques for the prevention and treatment of this disease.