Abstract
S. pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that undergoes a spontaneous and reversible phase variation that allows it to survive in different host environments. Interestingly, we found hsdS(A) , a gene that manipulated the phase variation, promoted the survival and replication of S. pneumoniae in macrophages by regulating EV production and EV-associated PLY. More importantly, here we provided the first evidence that higher EV-associated PLY (produced by D39) could form LAPosomes that were single membrane compartments containing S. pneumoniae, which are induced by integrin β1/NOX2/ROS pathway. At the same time, EV-associated PLY increased the permeability of lysosome membrane and induced an insufficient acidification to escape the host killing, and ultimately prolonged the survival of S. pneumoniae in macrophages. In contrast, lower EV-associated PLY (produced by D39ΔhsdS(A) ) activated ULK1 recruitment to form double-layered autophagosomes to eliminate bacteria.