Turning Foes into Permissive Hosts: Manipulation of Macrophage Polarization by Intracellular Bacteria

Macrophages function as tissue-immune sentinels and mediate key antimicrobial responses against bacterial pathogens. Yet, they can also act as a cellular niche for intracellular bacteria, such as Salmonella enterica, to persist in infected tissues. Macrophages exhibit heterogeneous activation or polarization, states that are linked to differential antibacterial responses and bacteria permissiveness. Remarkably, recent studies demonstrate that Salmonella and other intracellular bacteria inject virulence effectors into the cellular cytoplasm to skew the macrophage polarization state and reprogram these immune cells into a permissive niche. Here, we review mechanisms of macrophage reprogramming by Salmonella and highlight manipulation of macrophage polarization as a shared bacterial pathogenesis strategy. In addition, we discuss how the interplay of bacterial effector mechanisms, microenvironmental signals, and ontogeny may shape macrophage cell states and functions. Finally, we propose ideas of how further research will advance our understanding of macrophage functional diversity and immunobiology.