PFKFB3-Meditated Glycolysis via the Reactive Oxygen Species-Hypoxic Inducible Factor 1a Axis Contributes to Inflammation and Proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus in Epithelial Cells

Mastitis caused by antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus is a significant concern in the livestock industry due to the economic losses it incurs. Regulating immunometabolism has emerged as a promising approach for preventing bacterial inflammation. To investigate the possibility of alleviating inflammation caused by S aureus infection by regulating host glycolysis, we subjected the murine mammary epithelial cell line (EpH4-Ev) to S aureus challenge. Our study revealed that S aureus can colonize EpH4-Ev cells and promote inflammation through hypoxic inducible factor 1a (HIF1a)-driven glycolysis. Notably, the activation of HIF1a was found to be dependent on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). By inhibiting PFKFB3, a key regulator in the host glycolytic pathway, we successfully modulated HIF1a-triggered metabolic reprogramming by reducing ROS production in S aureus-induced mastitis. Our findings suggest that there is a high potential for the development of novel anti-inflammatory therapies that safely inhibit the glycolytic rate-limiting enzyme PFKFB3.